The Sand Prince
by The Book of Counted Sorrows
Summary: The coffin is retrieved from the water and Sai begins the unsealing process, while Neji protects him from uninvited guests from the deep. Itachi orchestrates his team for all out battle. Gaara awakens to find the Arctic Ocean burning with black fire. Sequel to "The Minister's Son"
1. Two Centuries Later

**A/N: **It's been a long time, but I've finally pushed myself to write this. I know I told everyone that this story would be out quickly, and yet, after months it has yet to come out until now. Aside from life, there is a reason why I haven't put this out yet, and as loyal readers, I thought I should at least give you my reason. The story is already in my mind. I know what's going to happen, how its going to end. I've always known since I wrote the first Chapter of "The Minister's Son". That hasn't changed, what has changed, is my preferences. I no longer ship the main pairing of this story, and thus, I find it very difficult to write a fic with them. That in a nutshell is the reason why its taken so long to write this piece. So, this will be my last story, centering around them. Expect any future stories to have another main pairing. Thank you for your patience.

- _The Book of Counted Sorrows_

* * *

**Two Centuries Later**

One by one, the people passed by the ancient cathedral, their lives to concerned with everyday affairs to glance at the once illustrious structure that still dominated the center of the city. The timeworn structure loomed above the city, spinning a tale of the its ancient past… a tale no one had the time to listen to… a tale no one wanted to listen to. And so, the edifice stands alone, a few stragglers entering the stone walls every now and again. The spacious place could hold hundreds easily, yet the pews only filled during holidays when the city's inhabitants were reminded of its presence. The same residents left soon after the service, or sooner, never to enter until their calendars reminded them once more of that task they begrudged yet adhere to for beliefs they thought they held.

Time passed slowly for Grace Cathedral. The old place of worship becoming nothing more than a relic of the past. This was one of the reasons why the young man praying inside found it so comforting. The stone walls never changed, sculptures remained the same, and the underground maze once used by his beloved forever remained undiscovered.

Head bent in prayer the young man with more years on him than most of the buildings in the city recited his prayers. Ancient prayers that his unc—_father _had taught him when he was still young, still human.

On the altar, an array of candles bathed the area in meager light. The soft glow barely reached the silent worshiper. Wisps of rich brown hair fell forward as he finished his daily prayers. When he was finished, he rose to his feet and moved to the altar. There he picked up a familiar silver candle snuffer. Like the nights before and the nights to come, he extinguished the light. Finished with his routine, he turned to face the empty space before him, and pearl-like eyes peered into the darkness beyond, hoping to catch a glimpse of a solitary figure that no longer watched him from afar. Like a slow burning fire disappointment slowly swept through quickly followed by an all consuming pain that held no physical origin but spread from the core of himself and fanned out in every direction.. Gradually, the small hope he held for that second subsided leaving a cold dull ache behind.

"... where are you?" he whispered into the darkness, eyes hopeless roaming around the room, desperately searching for any signs of another, but like the night before and the ones to come, he found none.

He was alone.

Forever alone.

Silence offered nothing but continual heartache, yet it was preferable to false hope. The structure was old, and with time creaks sounded to much like footsteps to someone who listened for them. They would stir the embers of hope like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, then smash it against granite when no dark-cloaked figure stepped out from the shadows. He had fallen apart more than once when the ancient groans caused him to think that he was not alone, to think maybe his beloved had returned once more.

False hope.

It was agony itself.

Yet despite the pitfall he knew was edging closer to, he still strained his ears now, swallowing his breath to better listen for the faintest of sounds.

"..."

A cacophony of silence was his only companion. His shoulders slumped forward. The palm of his hand pressed intensely against his forehead, while his eyes clenched shut in quiet agony.

"Where are you…?" he whispered to himself again, while his free hand clutched at his chest in hopes of stilling a broken heart. He'd been born a Minister's son, the teachings from his childhood would not let him seek out the ultimate peace.

Death.

He wanted to die. He couldn't stand the cold motions of a life that held nothing but heartache and traitorous hope. It was torture, but relief meant a sin he could not commit, so he pushed forward on tired legs that had nowhere to go.

He couldn't forget his rescuers words from long ago, couldn't ignore the sliver of hope the pair of vampires had given him before disappearing into the night.

With more strength than he thought he possessed, he battled back the waves of sorrow, and on shaky legs, he knelt on the footsteps of the altar. Quietly, he let his head hang down in dejection, while long strands of hair fell forward hiding his sorrow from the world.

"… Gaara."

* * *

A tall handsome man walked into a dark-edged room where the only light came from two lone candles set a-light by one of the servants most likely. He walked further into the room, and caught sight of his sleeping mate. An ancient book he had acquired for him lay open, cradled between his fingers. His eyes softened immediately, and suddenly the weeks of separation were all but forgotten as his mate slowly roused himself from a light slumber.

Dark sleepy eyes gradually opened, and barely caught sight the approaching figure.

"…!"

His eyes snapped open, as he realized he was back. Briskly, Sai shook away the last cobwebs of sleep, and set the book aside.

"What came of the meeting?" He asked, anxious to hear the results.

Itachi stopped a few feet away from the chair his mate had been napping in only moments ago, and quietly shrugged out of his long coat, taking his time to set it down as Sai rose to his feet. Once the coat was removed, he walked to his partner's side, and captured his hand in his own. Silently, he asked him to sit with him, gesturing to the loveseat before them. Sai looked down at their joined hands, but said nothing for the moment. Instead, he yielded to his silent request, and seated himself next to him.

"How are you, Sai?" Itachi asked. His free hand reached out to brush his hair away from his face, so he could better see the features that would forever capture his rapt attention.

He had missed him.

The succession of meetings, which had served to gather the information his mate was keen on obtaining had taken him weeks to secure. Now all he wanted to do was bask in his mate's presence. It was a foolish notion, but he knew just how foolish one could be when it came to their other half.

No price was too high to simply witness a real smile from the male sitting next to him. He'd been given more fake smiles than he wished to admit that now he'd do almost anything to behold real emotions... to have a real mate.

It was foolish, he knew, but that didn't stop him from pursuing that smile, from seeking those even rarer kisses. Each, a prize for his hard work, and how he treasured them. Every gesture further fueling his hope that maybe, one day Sai would be—would act like a true mate to him. Such a notion always spread warmth inside his heart.

Maybe one day…

… what a wonderful dream he pursued.

Sai didn't move away from the hand that came up to cup his cheek, but neither did he lean into it, not that Itachi would expect it of him. They both had their own way of being around each other which didn't involved pretty words or gestures that mates often shared amongst each other in the privacy of their own home. They weren't like regular mates, and Sai preferred it that way.

They had their own understanding.

"I'm well," Sai finally answered his question vaguely, but truthfully.

Itachi knew he wasn't talking about his emotional state, but his physical health. He nodded in response, his thumb sliding across his skin. These small touches were enough to make the grueling weeks he'd experienced almost worth it.

"I know its location," he murmured as his eyes strayed to his lips, mesmerized by them. Sai's eyes widen slightly as his breath caught for a moment, a reaction his partner easily noticed, considering where his attention lay at the moment.

"Where is it?"

He asked quickly, not at all hiding the edge in his voice. Itachi already knew he wanted this particular information, and luckily for Sai, the older vampire had long squashed most of the instinctual jealousy he initially felt when he first learned of his mate's intentions. He had a right to be jealous, anyone in his position would be, but he understood… somewhat. He tried to at least, for Sai, he tried to understand. Besides, he knew his mate was doing this out of a sense of duty, and nothing more, certainly nothing his possessive mind had conjured up many a time.

Itachi didn't answer his question right away, much to interested on the supple lips before him. Gradually, he relaxed in his mate's presence, his aura slowly wrapping around the younger male, making Sai hyper-aware of just where his thoughts had drifted off to. Amorous intent lay behind the warm atmosphere slowly curling around his slim form, coaxing him to relax along with the older Uchiha. If Sai hadn't been sure of what was happening before, the clear possessiveness behind Itachi's eyes when they finally lifted up to look at him, immediately confirmed his thoughts.

"… Sai."

His breath hitched, warmth spreading across his flushed skin. Feeling desperate, he shut his eyes just as dark tingles swept across his lean form, igniting his senses. He could feel Itachi's power enveloping him, calling on the beast within, luring it out with dark promises Sai wasn't even aware he craved.

Sai exhaled slowly, a shuddering breath falling across his companion's lips.

"...!" His eyes instantly flew open.

When had he moved closer? Being at such close range to his mate's power, Sai felt trapped, and instinctively fought against his hold, afraid. Afraid of losing control, and for someone who had very little of it for most of his life, it was a frightening thing to lose.

His identity, his destiny, it had always been in the hands of another. He had been raised to be used by another-a tool and nothing more. Tools were used and discarded. Every order, every whim, was to be obeyed, but his body… his mind. That at least had always been something he could control, even if he could not control his life. Yet, at times like these, when his partner's alluring power swirled around him... it was as if he lost control of his body and mind, both falling under the older vampire's spell.

"I…ta—chi…"

He bit his lower lip, telling himself to control his breathing as his chest began to rise and fall, faster and faster, until it became hard to even catch his breath. He clenched his hands, fingers twisting the cloth of his pants. He told himself to speak up, but he couldn't find the words, not when his senses were being decimated with seductive promises he didn't want to acknowledge.

Itachi was far older than him and with age came experience, but most of all power. The two didn't necessarily come in hand-in-hand, but they often did. The older Uchiha had always been powerful for a vampire, and experience had only made him even more so. It frightened him, this power Itachi seemed to have over him. Sai had yet to fully accept his role as his mate, let alone the duties that came with it. Time was what he needed, and it was exactly what Itachi had given him, but it was at times like these when his senses were robbed from him in this manner that he really hated being anyone's mate.

"… stop," he finally managed to breath out, feeling his throat ache from uttering the simple word.

Itachi had been watching every small movement, every gesture captured his attention. When he heard his name said in that breathless tone it made his heart beat just a little faster. His blood rushed through is veins making him want things he knew Sai wasn't ready to give him just yet. But, maybe this time would be different.

A groundless hope.

_Stop_.

It brought him back to reality, only then realizing what he'd subconsciously been doing. He hadn't intended to use his powers to sway his mate, but it seemed he was doing it more often now. As more and more time passed between them it was harder and harder to control his innate instincts. It had been 200 years since he found him. He wasn't made of stone.

"I apologize," he said, clamping down on his aura, pulling it away from him as he physically pulled away as well. He dropped his hand from his cheek, dark eyes falling to the ground, hiding the weariness behind them. How long would he have to wait for him? It was torture, worse than when he was young and merely thought about finding his mate. Back then, he didn't have Sai within his reach, so close he could touch him, but that was all he could do. He couldn't take—merely touch.

It was the worst torture he'd ever had to endure.

Once Itachi's power released him, Sai slowly regained control of himself, and with control the shards of fright began to fall away. After some time, he shifted his focus back to his dismal companion, the sight pulling at something inside of him, and before he knew what he was doing he placed a hand over Itachi's larger one.

"Thank you."

"...?" The Uchiha looked up at him, his eyes shifting back to their hands, before rising back up to meet his gaze again.

Sai knew the source of his confusion. He didn't often touch him of his own violation, instead, he let Itachi initiate most contact.

"Thank you, for everything."

He elaborated. He took it a step further by placing a gentle kiss across his cheek. When he pulled away a strong hand wrapped around his exposed waist, keeping him in place. Sai didn't pull away right away, and instead silently questioned him with his eyes. Itachi didn't explain his actions, nor did he release him. These gestures were so rare he didn't want it to end just yet.

"Do you want the location, Sai?"

That question put him on high alert for Itachi knew the answer already, but for now, he played along.

"Yes."

The Uchiha mentally smiled receiving the answer he expected. So, maybe he wasn't above some manipulation, he thought to himself as he gazed back at the younger vampire. An idea formed at the back of his mind. It wasn't much what he wanted, not compared to what he could ask for information his mate was so intent on acquiring.

"I like your kisses."

It wasn't subtle, but he wasn't trying to be, not now. He knew Sai's nature. He understood and even respected directness.

"… I see."

He shifted forward, and raised a hand to Itachi's face. Slim fingers skimmed across his cheek. He knew what he was asking of him, knew that this wasn't an attempt to manipulate him. Itachi didn't play games, not often, and Sai had long ago learned the difference between this and his subtle manipulation. Without exchanging any words, the younger vampire leaned forward and pressed their lips together. He moved against the soft pair with firm intent as his hand traced the line of his jaw. Itachi pulled him closer, even as Sai began to pull away.

"The location?"

Long fingers traced the column of his spine

"The Arctic."

The Arctic! He would never have guessed. How did they even get it up there? Sai made sure to hide his surprise.

"Coordinates?"

Itachi lifted his lips in a wry half-smile. He wasn't foolish enough to give his independent mate the exact location. It was the only leverage he had, without it Sai would be gone as soon as he gave him enough room to escape his sight. He had every intention of accompanying him.

"The ocean," he said, giving him at least that much information as he pressed another kiss to his cheek, his hands sliding down his waist possessively.

"The Arctic Ocean?"

"Yes," he older vampire answered, as he pressed another kiss to his throat this time.

Sai didn't like that he was keeping the coordinates to himself. Maybe later he'd try to coax it out of him when Itachi's guard was down, but for now, he focused on what he could get out of the amorous Uchiha.

"Is it reachable?"

Soft lips skimmed down his collarbone, which had his mate trembling slightly in his arms.

"It is…" another kiss. He was enjoying himself. "If you have the resources…"

He was losing his breath with each kiss, but he had more questions to ask, so he remained in place, clamping down on any traitorous noises.

"Do you have those re-sources?" The older vampire almost smirked at the small lapse, and wisely kept any comments to himself.

"I do," he buried his face against his neck, his hands sliding up and down his sides, touching the skin there.

This time, he couldn't stop the small noise that fell from the back of his throat making him breath out slowly in order to catch his breath.

"Will you…" he was losing quickly.

"… will you help me?"

Dark eyes filled with desire immediately flicked up to the younger male. This was the first time Sai had ever asked anything of him. All the other times, Itachi had volunteered, wanting to be near him, needing to help him, but now… Sai was actually asking him for his help. It was... he squashed down the flare of possession that threatened to undo everything he'd worked for. He didn't want to scare him off, not now that he was finally breaking down his defenses one by one.

"I will always help you, Sai."

A burst of warmth spread through him at those simple words making him feel awkward.

"—thank you."

It was all he could say, before he gradually pulled away from his partner, and for once, Itachi wasn't crestfallen with his actions. He'd gotten a small taste of his mate, his willing mate, and for now, it was enough.

* * *

The private jet sped through the blue sky, ripping through wispy clouds as it pushed forward toward its destination, while its occupants gathered around a small area, going over their plan of action.

"Do you know where to begin looking for him?" Itachi asked from across a small table overlooking his mate.

Sai looked up, away from the window. It took him a moment to collect his scattered thoughts. He had already been thinking on the matter when he lost himself in the blue sky beyond the thick layer of glass.

"I believe he would still frequent that cathedral," he turned to his side, pulling out two print-out copies of Grace Cathedral and its history.

His companion picked up the pages, taking a moment to look them over, before setting them back down with a small nod of approval. "We'll start there."

Sai returned the papers back inside his leather satchel. "I'll find him."

Itachi turned to look at him. "We'll find him," he softly corrected.

The words had younger male looking up at him with curious eyes, but the look was quickly replaced with his normal neutral expression as he nodded.

Another few hours passed in flight, the two vampires occupied themselves with their own tasks. Itachi spent most of the time on the phone taking care of mundane things such as transportation as well as business matters like the acquirement of important stocks in very specific companies, while Sai spent his time on other matters, each shouldering half the work.

The plane soon reached its destination, and Itachi's excessive planning made their arrival and consequent departure a rather simple matter. In less than half an hour, the two vampires were approved entry into the country, and promptly headed for their hotel room. The two unpacked little, spending most of their time on matters they had yet to complete. They stayed this way until night fell. Once the twinkling lights of far away stars dotted the night sky, the two left their room and headed for the ancient cathedral that rose up into the sky in a never ending quest to touch the celestial beings above.

* * *

"You're here again, my boy?" The old priest cordially asked as he saw the young man enter the cathedral just past twilight as he often did. Sometimes he saw him, other times he only caught a shadow of him, or at least, he thought it was him, who knew with the way his eyes were going. Time had worn his vision away, like it did many things.

The young man nodded at his question. "I came for early prayer."

The priest knit his furry eyebrows together in confusion, finding the statement odd considering he had missed the last sermon by an hour. The cathedral was of course still open, but not many entered its cold walls this late at night.

"Would you like to give confession after your prayer?" The old man asked kindly. He was currently the only minister in the cathedral, and didn't want to wander to far away if the boy wanted to confess.

"Thank you, but I only came for prayer tonight," the boy answered respectfully.

The priest smiled kindly in turn, his wrinkles becoming less pronounced as he did so. "I'll leave you to your prayer then," he said as he humbly bowed his head to him. The boy imitated the gesture and bowed as well, more deeply than the elder.

"Have a good evening, Father," he said, as the old man walked away returning to his tasks before he to would leave the old walls to seek his bed.

Neji watched him walk away only continuing on his way when the minister turned a corner. He moved to the front of the building stopping at the altar to stare listlessly at the array of candles spread across the granite platform. His gaze fell one the central candle, light lavender eyes losing themselves in the bright light. His thoughts wandered along with the flickering light as memories flooded his mind. Old memories…

He came here every night, hoping against hope to find him once again. He had wandered these halls for over 200 years, his only companion a ghost of his beloved. A sound here that sounded like his cryptic voice, the deep red panels that almost caught his coloring, and his scent… it lingered here and there in maze below where he had spent a decade waiting for him when he had still believed himself to be human... a role he had taken up now, as he waited for his beloved.

Day after day, year after year, until a century had passed without a single piece of hope, and then another passed as well leaving him with the same desolate emptiness inside. He didn't know how long he could take it. He missed him. With all his heart, he missed him. It was torture to live without him. He didn't care if he hadn't truly known him until he was taken from him. He loved him. He was his mate. His other half. He'd given up everything for him, and now… and now… he was gone…

"… Gaara…" he whispered silently to himself, his eyes falling shut as he felt his heart tearing apart, his eyes already prickling with the beginning of tears. He didn't know how much more he could take, he—

His eyes snapped open as he realized he wasn't alone. Swiftly, he turned around, white robes fluttering in the wind making the candles flicker in warning. Seconds later, light eyes locked onto one of the few people in this world that he knew didn't mean him harm for what he was.

"Neji," Sai watched him closely, his dark eyes a sharp contrast to the other.

"Sai."

The Hyuuga responded, unsure of what else to say when suddenly finding the vampire before him. How long had it been since he'd last seen him? He couldn't remember anymore.

Sai studied him closely, noticing small details that no human would ever catch with their own mundane eyes. He was pale, malnourished, and his eyes held a dark anguish just behind the light shade of his pupil. Sai knew why Neji was in this place. He'd always known, and after nearly two centuries he could now greet him with the evidence of the words he'd given him long ago when he watched him depart with the older human.

There was a possibility Gaara was being held prisoner. He might still be alive.

Back then, he had told the half-breed of his thoughts without realizing how long it would take to confirm his suspicions let alone the toll it would exact on Neji to wait for so long with only the possibility that his mate was still alive.

"I know where it is," he finally said in a firm voice. Dark eyes remained on the half-breed catching the way those eerie pupils widened in utter shock as his hand instinctively clutched at his chest.

His heart lurched at the news. He didn't believe it, couldn't. But then, he knew Sai was not one to pull such things.

Sai's brows furrowed at the Hyuuga's strange actions, and after a moment he began to ask if he was okay, a question that was quickly cut off before he could finish it.

"Where is he!" Neji demanded, swiftly stepping closer to him.

Sai blinked surprised by the sudden intensity behind those pale eyes. What an interesting reaction, he thought. He studied him, even as he kept his ground, his attention fully on the half vampire before him. How strange, he had only been near his mate for a short while, and yet, it seemed Gaara had affected him this much.

But then... wasn't that how it was supposed to be? Wasn't that what it meant to be half of one soul? If that was true, then...

Then why... why didn't he feel that way toward the man that called himself his other half?

"Please tell me!" Neji stepped closer, his eyes watering at the notion that he could possibly be reunited with Gaara after so long. "… please."

Sai stared at him, unaffected by the tears that threatened to spill at any moment. His thoughts swirled around a subject far removed from the one the half-breed spoke about.

He wondered…

Itachi had been by his side since he had found him. Was that why he'd never felt that deep anguish… that deep aching loneliness of a mate parted from his other half?

He didn't know.

"Come with me," he told him, gesturing to the door, where Itachi stood in the shadows, waiting...

For him.

"I'll take you to him."

* * *

And with that, the first chapter is complete.

Next Chapter: Off to the Arctic!

As always reviews are greatly appreciated. ;)


	2. Off To The Arctic!

**Off To The Arctic!**

_BOOM!_

"Shit!" One of the deck hands yelled out as a large chunk of ice smashed into the water a dozen meters away from the ship.

"Get a move on it!" The first mate yelled down at the crew, having run out of the bridge to give out the captain's orders.

"We need to get the ship away from the iceberg," one of the seasoned deckhands hollered out, boosting the crews resolve as more chunks of ice slammed into the icy waters of the Southern Ocean.

Up on the bridge, the captain was snapping out orders to his trusted crew as he turned the ship away from the melting mass of glacier that had suddenly given way. The researchers on board had asked for an opportunity to collect samples from the giant mass of ice, which was the only reason the captain had even attempted to approach the massive iceberg jutting a hundred meters into the sky. The icy blue mass had seemed stable enough, but then they always did. They had been approaching it at a slow pace when chunks of it suddenly broke apart creating high waves as the large chunks of ice, weighing almost a ton, slammed into the freezing water below. The consequent waves rocked the ship impeding the crew from doing their job efficiently.

"You'll have to wait in collecting your samples Professor," the captain said aloud, once he had the ship away from the unstable ice mass.

So, entranced with the beautiful chaos they had witnessed only moments ago, it took the older looking man with large spectacles a few moments to realize the captain was addressing him.

"…!"

He quickly snapped his attention to the seasoned man, and nodded quickly.

"Yes, yes. Of course. We can wait to collect samples when a better opportunity arises," he told him before excusing himself and quietly leaving the room to let his research team know of the new developments.  
From the corner of the room, Itachi watched everything in silence wondering if he should be glad his mate was with him in a secure research vessel instead of finding his own means of traveling to this remote place, or utterly frightened of all the dangers that could possibly befall him even on a secure vessel.

Needing to confirm Sai's safety, Itachi gently prodded at the mind link he and his mate shared, but as usual, the other side remained effectively closed off to him. He could get a feel of him for mates were always connected, even when one side closed themselves off, the other could still feel their presence, feel that they were indeed alive. But that was it. He couldn't read his mind, not without forcing his way inside Sai's mind, which was something his mate did not forgive so easily. He knew how much value he placed on his own independence which was the reason why the older Uchiha tried to give him as much freedom as his nature would allow, but it wasn't enough for him.

His mate always pushed for more, forcing him to draw a line. He simply was not made to live without him. He'd been by his side for a while now, and in that time he had not been apart from him for more than a month. He knew the aching loneliness that would befall Sai if he should ever leave him for a longer time, and even if that would irrevocably demonstrate that he could not live without him as he always claimed, it would be cruel. Itachi did not want Sai to feel that aching loneliness. He'd lived with it for so long he would never willingly impose it on his mate. So, he gave him as much freedom as he possibly could and hoped that one day, his mate would need him as much as he now needed him.

"I don't suppose you wanted to collect samples from that iceberg as well," the captain spoke up as he turned his gaze to the mysterious business man that had funded the entire expedition in order to conduct his own personal research. He didn't have a clue what a man of his stature was doing out here, but it must have been something important considering he hadn't sent an underling as men with his power would usually do. He had been surprised by the missions stipulations, but a paycheck was a paycheck, and the man paid very well, not to mention he had funded three months worth of marine research for the University his own daughter attended. Given that, who could really deny him use of the vessel for his own personal research?

Itachi turned his gaze away from the icy Antarctic Ocean to the man in front of him. "No. I have no interest in that iceberg."  
The captain might not have had a university education, but he wasn't stupid either. He was a quick one. "But you _are_interested in a particular iceberg," he inferred by those few words.

The older Uchiha's stare never wavered, even when the captain deduced the right answer. He would have to keep an eye on him. He wouldn't be so easily fooled. "Please inform me when we draw near the coordinates I specified," he replied as he turned to the door. "I'll be in my room with my," mate? No he wouldn't understand the significance of the word, but neither could he say husband. Sai had even denied using that term in regards to him, since they weren't actually married, not that Itachi hadn't asked him only to be turned down. In the end he settled with the least controversial statement given the little room his mate gave him, "partner."

The captain simply nodded, watching him as he left the bridge. His mind lingered on the term he'd used, but in the end, he let it go. It wasn't his business. Besides, he had a ship to run.

_x_

Sai sat at the small table that held a large map spread across its entire length. On the floor, heaps of books on navigation, icebergs, Captain's logs, weather patterns, ocean currents, and of course, the Antarctic Ocean lay open with various tags throughout their pages.

"The coordinates your mate retrieved are based off-"

"His name is Itachi," Sai corrected as he shifted his dark gaze over to the younger male he now conferred with.

"… Ah," the boy's pale cheeks were already pink from the cold, which fortunately hid the fact they had grown darker at that statement. "Yes, of course," he conceded, feeling awkward as he attempted to continue on with their discussion.

"The coordinates… Itachi-sama retrieved," he continued on, feeling his cheeks turn just a little bit pinker as Sai continued to stare at him, "were based off a confirmed sighting 80 years ago." Finally, Sai returned his gaze to the nautical map below allowing the other to slowly regain his balance.

"The sighting was recorded," he retrieved one of the books on the floor, and opened it to the third tag, "here." He pointed to the captain's log that held the man's testimony of his encounter with an unusual iceberg.

"From that information, the team Itachi-sama put together was able to estimate the icebergs present location by taking into consideration weather patterns at the time, ocean currents and other factors. From that information, the team derived the icebergs tentative position, which Itachi-sama used to search for it via satellite until he found a matching mass of ice in the designated area. It's this iceberg we're now pursuing," the soft-spoken man finished.

"We need to record the motion and direction of the moving ice by keeping track of its estimated travel time, acceleration, and trajectory. By taking into account any factors that might influence its motion, we should be able to calculate its precise location at any time," Sai finished the assessment as he looked over his calculations. The other man watched him, and nodded in silent agreement, while Sai marked the icebergs present estimated location on the nautical map.

"From our findings, the iceberg the Elders used to trap the coffin containing the Sand Prince should be within a day's journey from us."

Sai nodded at that conclusion. "Tomorrow, then."

"Yes, tomorrow—" The presence of another cut him off mid-sentence as the two men turned toward the door.

A shifting of the handle announced Itachi's entrance. He opened the door, stopping at the doorway when he spotted the two vampires in his quarters, instead of the one he'd left a few hours ago. The older Uchiha looked over at the array of maps and books cluttering his floor, his mind easily deducing what they'd been up to, and who had instigated it. Sai was nothing if not thorough, a quality he admired, but sometimes, he wished he'd trust him to be just as thorough.

"You should get some rest," he told the shorter effeminate male, who nodded his head in return, excusing himself before his eyes fell on the mess of books and papers they'd made during their conference. He stopped.

"You may leave it. I'll take care of it," Itachi murmured, noticing where his gaze had fallen to.

"Are you sure?" The boy spoke up, feeling uneasy with leaving with the mess in tact.

"I am," Itachi assured him. "If you'll excuse us, I would like to spend some time with my mate before tomorrow's events."

"Oh!" he immediately bowed his head, before heading for the door. Of course, he would want to spend time with his mate, he thought as he opened it. Before taking his leave, he turned around to say one last good-bye to Sai. "It was nice working with you, Sai-sama, I will see you both tomorrow morning."

"Haku," Itachi spoke up, before the boy could close the door. The younger vampire stopped and looked up at him in silent inquiry. "May you please let Neji-san know of tomorrow's schedule."

The boy nodded in acknowledgement. "I will pay him a visit now."

With that he closed the door behind him, leaving the two mates alone as he headed for the half-breeds quarters.

Once the door was closed, the two were left alone, and Itachi took the opportunity to drink up the sight of his mate. He walked over to him, and reached up to cup his pink cheeks, caressing the soft skin with the pad of his thumb. He'd missed him. They had only been apart for a few hours while he took care of tomorrow's preparations, but the separation had still caused a pang of longing. He knew this wasn't normal. No mated couple would ever survive if this was how they always felt when they were separated by a few hours, and yet…

He knew why he felt this way.

Sai refused to open himself up to him. Their mind link remained one-sided. The only time he'd truly felt his mate's essence was on those rare times he'd forcefully entered his mind. Something his younger companion still hadn't forgiven him for. They were mates yes, but without linking their minds, Itachi could only ever truly feel the truth of it when he was this close to him, touching him. He'd known Sai was below deck, waiting for his return, and yet he'd still felt that edge of loneliness creeping up on him. It wasn't as bad as it had been those weeks he'd been away attaining the information they were now using to find _that_vampire, but it was still there, waiting to engulf him. Didn't Sai know that? Didn't he know what kind of loneliness he was putting him through?

He wasn't sure. Sai still refused to acknowledge the truth of their relationship, and because of it, he wasn't as hyper aware of him, didn't feel lonely when he was gone… at least he didn't think so. He still kept himself apart from him, and yet, he seemed to liven up when his quest to help his long ago benefactor came up. He knew the reason why Sai was so insistent on helping him. He had saved his life long ago. He knew, and yet, deep inside... harbored beneath a veneer of civility lay a beast chained by his own self control.

He was furious.

More than furious, he was absolutely livid. Every time, his mate's eyes gained a spark of life when speaking about helping the other vampire, he wanted to follow the beasts thinking and tear that man apart for holding so much of _his_mate's attention.

Sai was _his_.

He'd destroy anyone who tried to take him away. He didn't care who it was—the Sand Prince, the Elders. It didn't matter. He'd wipe their existence from this earth, leaving nothing but ash as a testament to their demise.

"… Itachi?"

Sai questioned, looking up at him with those innocent eyes that had only glimpsed his true form a handful of times. For a split second the beast inside looked back at him. The same beast that even now struggled against the chains holding it prisoner. The very chains that kept it from taking him, from using his body, and drinking every drop of blood he possessed.

His Flesh. His Soul.

They belonged to him. He wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into both and consume him. Every piece of him. Entwined together. Chained forever. He'd never have to be alone again. He'd devour every last fragment of Sai and make him _his_.

The beast suddenly slammed itself against its cage, roaring in fury at the man that kept it locked away, kept it away from what belonged to them!

_Why!_

"Are you cold?"

Itachi calmly asked, using every inch of self control the possessed to make the statement sound casual, as if he wasn't struggling to keep the beast in its cage, away from his other half. He didn't want Sai to see it. He knew what would happen. Those dark bottomless depths he loved so much would look upon him with fear, maybe even loathing.

It'd kill him.

Itachi had suddenly closed himself off from him, and considering he was still touching him, it left him feeling confused. He looked up at the taller man, suspicion lighting his eyes. For a moment, he thought he'd seen something that didn't belong in those dark depths, but looking at him now, he knew he wasn't going to get an answer, even if he asked. Next time he would ask, but for now, they had other important matters to attend to.

With a neutral expression, Sai answered his question. "It's the Arctic. It's cold."

The response was typical of Sai, and served to help him place another lock on the cage. He never wanted to hurt him, and yet… everything the beast wanted… it came from his own dark desires.

Slowly, he let his hand slide away from his cheek, and down his arm. He skimmed over the slender digits, and captured his hand with his own. He lifted it to press a gentle kiss on the inside of his palm. It was eating at him to do more than merely kiss his hand, but he didn't trust himself right now to stop there. Better not to tempt himself.

"I have something for you," he murmured with deceptive calmness, as he extracted himself from the beasts thinking. He'd been waiting a long time to give this to Sai, he would not ruin it with his own selfish desires.

Sai kept a watchful eye on him as he raised his hand, but did not protest the simple kiss. "I don't need anything. You shouldn't have—"

The older vampire quieted him down by placing a single digit on his lips. "Allow me this one gift," he interrupted him, as his hand slipped away. "Please."

Sai stared back at him, dark eyes observing him for a long time before silently nodding. The simple gesture helped the struggling Uchiha slam the last chain on the beast leaving nothing but the man.

Permission granted, Itachi brought forth a small box from his pocket. Sai looked up at him giving him a questioning look, but he kept silent on the matter. Curious of its contents, he opened it revealing a thin necklace inside. The younger vampire stared at the familiar necklace and felt his heart beat just a little faster. It was a replica of the one Itachi always wore. "Why did you—"

The same finger from before stopped the question before he had a chance to utter it.

"Let me…" he murmured. He didn't want to argue right now, he simply wanted to give him this gift in peace without hearing Sai's protests. He was well aware of them already.

"My collar…," Sai motioned as Itachi set the box aside, "...it's too high."

The Uchiha stopped for a moment, giving thought to his words, and after a moment, he set the necklace on a nearby table. He settled his hands on Sai's waistline, and reached underneath the hem of the sweater he wore. He made sure to catch the undershirt as well, before pulling them both up his slim form. Sai raised his hands in assistance, so he could get it past is shoulders, up his head and off.

The cold instantly began to set in, had he been human, he would have been freezing as soon as his sweater was removed, but he wasn't. He felt his body grow colder, not impossibly cold, but enough to make it noticeable. In an hour he'd probably break out in goosebumps if he remained exposed as he was at the moment for even the Arctic paid a toll on a vampire's body.

"I won't take long," Itachi promised. He reached for the necklace he'd set down, and picked up both ends with each hand. He stepped behind his mate, and slowly clasped the ends together letting the cool metal fall across his skin. Aside from the obvious mark of possession, Itachi did have a practical purpose for bestowing the item to his beloved.

Once the necklace had been secured, Itachi wrapped his arms around Sai's waist, pulling him closer so that his back was firmly pressed against his chest. "I sealed it with a part of my own power in case you ever have need of it," he confessed to him, as he pressed a gentle kiss across his bare shoulder.

"… Itachi," Sai murmured, feeling his skin suddenly break out in goose bumps, which Sai attributed to the cold. "You shouldn't have…"

"It's mine to use as I see fit," he whispered in his ear, which had his mate shivering in his hold. He pressed another kiss, this time to his neck, before pulling away.

"Come, Sai," he pulled him toward the warm bed.

Sai followed him, unsure of what was going through his mind, but trusting that it wasn't anything he would be opposed to. Itachi knew him by now. The older vampire tried not to do things that he was adamantly opposed to.

Itachi lifted the covers off the bed and motioned Sai to sit down. The younger followed his lead, and sat down on the bed. He looked back up at him when he completed the task, and waited to see what he was up to. He didn't have to wait long. Once he sat down, Itachi crouched down on one knee in front of him and slowly removed each shoe and sock for him. The unexpected action brought forth a burst of awkwardness that left Sai feeling confused, while Itachi seemed to be enjoying himself if the small lift of his lips was anything to go by.

Sai held through the entire ordeal, feeling his insides churning with every movement the Uchiha made, and when he was finally finished, Sai gratefully pulled away and slid into the warm covers. Itachi wisely kept any comments to himself, and instead, proceeded to remove his own sweater and undershirt followed by his shoes and socks. Task complete, the Uchiha followed his companion into the warm covers of the bed, and curled an arm around his waist, bringing him closer.

His heart was hammering within his chest at the close contact. Feeling distinctly unbalanced with the entire situation, Sai kept silent as his slender form was tucked next to Itachi's broader shoulders so they were facing each other. Sai would have normally protested when Itachi pressed their chests together if he trusted his voice to remain stable, but he didn't, so he remained silent as warmth spread through the point of contact warming him up.

"Rest with me," Itachi murmured in his ear, and almost smiled at the quick nod he received before his mate buried his face between his shoulder, hiding his scarlet cheeks as if that alone would stop him from catching the way his heart raced inside his chest.

"Good night, Sai."

* * *

The young man knocked on Neji's quarters. He waited patiently until he heard the door click open revealing the half-breed.

"Neji-san," he smiled warmly at the younger man, who looked a lot older than himself.

"Haku-san" Neji nodded at him, unsure how to address him.

Aware that he had not been invited in, Haku decided not to press him for an invitation. "Itachi-sama asked me to inform you tomorrow's schedule."

Neji nodded, aware that they were supposed to reach the iceberg soon.

"From our calculations, we should reach the iceberg close to noon. From there, the captain will anchor the ship near it. We will leave the main ship and take another shipt to the actual sight. While we're away, the marine biologists on board will take the opportunity to use the rest of the equipment to take a census of the sea life under the arctic waters. They have been instructed to stay away from our general area, so we should be able to retrieve the coffin without anyone knowing what we're doing," Haku paused for a moment looking at the young man to see if he had followed his words. Neji nodded in return. He had been waiting a long time for this. He almost couldn't believe he was so close to finding him again.

Satisfied, Haku continued on. "While the captain and the scientists are busy with their census, Itachi-sama's team will be using the specialized equipment to lock onto the iceberg and begin burrowing into the ice underneath the water. If we're correct, Gaara-sama's coffin should be located about a mile within the ice. The operation will take a day maybe two to complete, depending on the structural stability of the ice of course," Haku finished.

He had noticed how the man had almost stilled when he said Gaara's name. He must have missed him, he thought to himself. Since, he'd never met his mate he didn't have any way of knowing just how much he had suffered since their separation, but he assumed it was something he never wanted to experience.

He looks pale, Haku thought to himself as he looked at the half vampire, half human. He didn't have any words that could be of any use to him. Sai and Itachi were already doing more than enough on their end, anything else felt almost short. The only way he could help was to retrieve the coffin that held his mate. His actions on the expedition would be more useful than anything he could ever think to say. His own unique power lay in an affinity toward ice, a helpful ability in this mission. It was the reason he'd been contacted and invited to join the expedition by Itachi, and considering he had nowhere to go, let alone any goals of his own to pursue, Haku had accepted. To this day, he was grateful that Neji had not killed his teammates on that day. He was well aware that they could have all been dead if the half-breed had not turned his power away when he did, and now, because of that Juugo and Kimimaro enjoyed a happy life.

"Itachi-sama, set aside some room for you on the bridge, in case you would like to watch the retrieval mission."

Neji gripped the door handle more tightly. "Yes, I would like to be there."

Haku smiled at him, he thought as much. It was nice of Itachi to let him to join them when there was hardly room for the operators to work efficiently, let alone guests.

"I will let him know then," he stepped away from the door.

"You should rest soon. You'll need your energy," he said kindly as he bowed, and excused himself.

"… Thank you," Neji voiced after him, feeling awkward to be receiving help from someone he had almost killed, "for everything, even after…"

"It's okay," he disrupted him, knowing what he was going to say. "If you hadn't stopped us, we would have killed you. We had our orders. You had every right to defend yourself."

Neji stared at him, feeling his resolve harden. "I wanted to kill him."

Haku lost his smile at that confession, and his eyes fell to the ground. "He murdered your parents. Even if they were orders… maybe that's worse… but, we understand why you did what you did." He paused putting his thoughts together. "Weapons… we're always given orders to kill, there are few that are ever given to save a life. That's why I'm glad I can help save two lives with my actions here. I don't know what Gaara-sama told you of his past, but he's been wronged even more than you. I don't condone his actions in response to that, but I… I can understand them."

The ex-Weapon stared kindly at him, knowing that his words would require time to fully digest. With a last good-bye the older vampire excused himself, leaving Neji to rest as he headed for his own quarters. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, he would need his rest.

Neji watched him leave, only moving when he turned the corner. He went back into his room, slowly closing the door behind him, and locked it. His eyes remained on the ground the entire time, staring at nothing.

"… Tomorrow," he murmured as his back pressed against the door, "…tomorrow."

He clutched at his chest as he slid down the door. He tried to ignore the emptiness he felt in his heart. A deep emptiness that he'd attempted to quench time and time again by reaching for Gaara, but like the times before no one answered his call. That intangible link that had always connected them even before he ever laid eyes on Gaara was gone. Not even a wall to indicate Gaara was still there remained. That spell, whatever it was, had annihilated that precious bond leaving not even a sliver of its existence. Since that long ago day, he had been utter alone aching for someone he could never reach, someone he couldn't even confirm was alive.

He remained on the floor his lips trembling. Time passed this way, as he lost himself in familiar memories much more precious to him than the air he breathed, and after some time, he finally dozed off comforted by his memories.

* * *

Hope you liked the latest installment.

Next Chapter: The Past

As always reviews are greatly appreciated. ;)


	3. The Past

_**A/N: **_I was thinking of writing a one-shot for Christmas that would revolve around Itachi and Sai. A holiday special for the couple, so to say. Is anyone interested? And are there any requests (prompts? Something said? Something that happens? Christmas tree on fire? Anything at all?) I can try to fit it into the one-shot, if there's anything people really want to see.  
With that said, here's the next installment. I've been pretty busy with a new job, and moving, and now with the holiday season, so forgive the late chapter.

* * *

**The Past**

Long dark hair fell across light skin, creating a sweeping contrast across his face. Beauty in the midst of death. He looked intriguing as he slumbered next to him; a death-like sleep where the heart ceased to beat allowing the body to truly rest.

He had awoken before the older vampire, wanting more time to look over their plans, but as his eyes swept across his resting companion, Sai momentarily forgot about the reason he'd risen early. He lost himself to his artistic eye, and studied the sleeping Uchiha with the same detail he would with every subject matter he'd ever come across. He was tall, well-built, strong but there was more behind his power than a strong form.

Without much thought he traced the lines beneath his eyes, wondering why Sasuke didn't have them. Was it a family trait or did they belong to him alone? His thumb ran across his cold cheek finding the skin underneath the pad of his thumb soft to the touch, but he'd already known that. The curious finger continued down the curve of his cheek and across firm lips where it suddenly stopped.

_Thump._

". . ."

_Thump._

Dark eyes quickly flicked up, only to be captured by equally dark eyes. Itachi watched him in silence.

_Thump._

He moved his hand away from his lips.

"You don't have to pull away," Itachi's hand slowly wrapped around his wrist, stopping him from leaving.

"You're cold," Sai stated, pulling on his hand again, but the Uchiha didn't let go. Not this time. Instead, he sat upright and drew close enough for his broad shoulders to overshadow Sai's slighter form.

"It's my nature to be cold."

Deliberately, he brought the captured limb to his bare chest, letting him feel the truth of his words. Sai shifted his gaze down to where his hand landed just above his beating heart. Their room was cold, but it wasn't enough to account for this drastic drop in temperature. Curiosity pushed him to open the palm of his hand until it rested flat against the icy flesh. The action caused heat to slowly radiate from the point of contact, warming the cold skin beneath his fingertips.

"You're warm." Itachi watched in amusement as his mate stiffened, before his gaze returned back to his face and away from his exposed chest. "You provide the warmth I no longer feel," he continued, drawing closer to his nape. His hair slipped forward as he breathed in his scent, filling his lungs with the familiar aroma.

"Will you leave me to freeze, Sai?" he whispered near his ear as his hand ran through short dark strands. He felt his body warm up with every second that passed by.

"You will survive," Sai finally found his voice. "You don't require my presence to warm you," he continued, needing some breathing room before he robbed his senses again.

"Anyone will do," he drove a wedge between them though it had always been there in his mind. He pulled his hand away from his chest. "You have many admires that would be happy to warm you," he drove it deeper, increasing the distance as he slipped off the bed. He left Itachi alone, and quickly grabbed the nearest pair of clothes slipping them on.

". . ."

Itachi narrowed his eyes, feeling the beast stir behind its cage at those foolish words.

"Is that what you want?" A light growl accompanied the end of the question as he watched Sai closely. "You want me to share my bed with a complete stranger that only wants me for my name?"

Sai stilled his movements, and after a moment, he turned around. With his shirt half opened, Sai placed a hand on his hip and regarded the Uchiha with bemusement.

"It's what you're doing now."

His demeanor had completely reversed to back then. The fake smile—fake emotions, he would have none of it. He would not play this game with him again. Itachi was on his feet in less than half a second, and stood in front of his mate.

"You're testing my patience," he said calmly, as if his blood wasn't boiling with fury at every word that came out of that pert little mouth that knew exactly what to say to make his hard won control slip beneath his anger.

With a smile still curving his lips, Sai walked past him and continued to get ready.

His fury began to bubble over his mate's blatant actions. Dark ebony eyes began to flash red, his unsettled state instinctively calling on his inheritance. Sai refused to be intimidated and ignored the threatening aura rolling off the Uchiha's demeanor as he stalked his every move with his eyes.

"We have important things to do today," Sai spoke up when he was finally dressed. He walked toward the door, stopping for a moment to look back at him. "Please don't be late," he moved to open it and let himself out when the it suddenly slammed shut, a loud click indicating it had been locked.

Sai turned to face the Uchiha whose chiseled face remained the epitome of calmness, a clear contrast to the warring emotions rolling off him in dark waves slamming against his own neutral aura. Sai blinked and Itachi was standing before him once more, trapping him against the door. Sai refused to be intimated, but his dark aura was stronger up close. It ruthlessly pounded against his own calmer one, until he was forced to push against him, or lose his breath from the overwhelming power suffocating him. Itachi didn't move, and Sai pushed harder, but still the Uchiha remained. He squeezes his eyes shut, and bit his lip.

Inhale. Hold.

Exhale.

Inhale. Hold.

Exhale.

Sai tried to keep himself upright, but the explosion of power kept pushing against him. He wasn't prepared for it, he never was, and like the times before, Sai wondered if Itachi would notice before he passed out. He knew the Uchiha was caught up in a web of clashing emotions that robbed him of his senses letting instincts take over. The beast inside escaped its cage and rose to the surface attempting to wrench control back from the man who struggled with foreign emotions to powerful to fully separate himself from them as he usually did.

Sai realized his mistake much too late, he'd pushed Itachi a to far this time, and now he was at his mercy. He knew it was his fault, knew he shouldn't have pushed him this far, and was paying for it now. If Itachi truly tried to smother him with his power, Sai could do nothing to stop him. It was at times like these that he realized just how far beneath him he truly was. He was no match for him. He could feel his mental block was being pounded away, the granite walls falling away faster than he could rebuild them. And that was all he could really do. He couldn't fight against the effects. He could only try and keep himself from falling victim to it as so many others had over the centuries.

"When _that _vampire is free," Itachi finally spoke, as he freed himself from the web enough to voice his thoughts. His tone even now held that calm neutral quality that grated against Sai's nerves as he continued to fight against the encroaching power that threatened to consume him mind, body and soul.

"We **will** speak of our union."

His power grew engulfing every inch of him, forcing Sai to hold onto the handle with a death grip in order to stay upright as the beast tried to force him to his knees with his mere aura alone.

"I've given you _two_ centuries. I will offer no more."

As soon as those words were spoken, another wave of power crashed into the younger vampire making him lose his grip on the handle, and forcing him to his knees this time. The beast stared back at him keeping silent, before the man noticed its presence, and took over locking it away from what was rightfully his to take.

Short dark strands fell forward, obscuring his eyes in shadow as his shoulders rose and fell rapidly with every quick breath he tried to gulp down. His hands clenched at his sides, as the waves continued to crash into him, destroying the barrier in his mind with every passing second. Dark eyes turned cold, losing the sparkle of life that'd been there only minutes before.

"Why don't you find someone," he clenched out between gritted teeth, "that will love you the way you want—" He lost his breath, and quickly gulped down another. His nails dug into his skin, making him bleed. Pain was a release, bringing clarity to a mind that was slowly being penetrated.

"... the way you expect them to," he felt his mental defenses crumbling beneath a barrage of vicious attacks. "...instead of following someone around _so far __**beneath **__you_—" he swallowed hard, "Like a **Damn **_**Fool**_!"

The power suddenly ceased, letting him to breathe, and he immediately inhaled a big gulp of air. He felt the dark aura receding, letting him move easier, letting him think. He hadn't breached his mental defenses, the last mental wall held cracks and crevices, but it remained standing just barely.

The words served as a sharp slap to the face, leaving the Uchiha speechless. Where had he gotten such ridiculous notions from?! So far beneath _him_? Had he gone mad? He—with all the blood on his hands, with every dark deed he'd ever committed over the centuries… Sai thought _**he **_was above _anyone_?

His mate's shocking words pulled him firmly back to reality, clearing away the last cobwebs that obscured the lurking beast just beyond the surface. Itachi quickly slammed it back in its cage, before pulling his power away from Sai. He cursed himself the entire time, raging over the state he'd left his mate in. No matter what the other vampire had said, he didn't deserve this. It only served to drive a far larger wedge between them than anything Sai could have ever aimed for.

With the Uchiha's power no longer forcing him down, Sai got back to his feet, and without wasting a moment, he wrenched open the steel door. He pulled himself through the doorway before shutting it firmly behind him. Once outside, Sai briskly placed one foot in front of the other, before he was trapped once more with _that _vampire.

His steps quickening when he heard the tall mirror in their room suddenly shatter. He didn't look back, didn't see the way the door suddenly creaked open from the Uchiha's power, but he heard it. His heart suddenly lurched before pounding frantically inside his chest, while his legs trembled making him feel pathetically weak.

Back in their room, Itachi's hands clenched at his sides as he desperately tried to hold back the beast. He used every drop of self-control to keep it locked deep inside, and away from Sai. It roared in fury, slamming against its imprisonment as his mate once again walked away from him effectively snuffing out the torches that provided light and warmth, leaving him in cold darkness with every step he took.

* * *

Up on the deck, Haku watched the cameraman film the the reporter and homely looking professor of Marine Biology. The woman looked straight into the camera, while the professor looked at her clearly not an adept with this type of situation.

"_A fleet of three Antarctic marine research ships leave from Australia this week beginning a summer expedition to the southern ocean where they will carry out a census of life on the ocean floor more than 1 kilometer below the surface."_

Here she moved the microphone to the Professor, encouraging him to speak on the exciting new developments they hoped to make. A news worthy story and the only reason why the young reporter and cameraman were even on the cold ship in the first place.

"_There's a huge diversity of life… very colorful, and rich, far exceeding any of our expectations,"_ the Professor began as he spoke of sea spiders the size of dinner plates they had discovered only last year, and how excited they all were to make similar discoveries this summer with the generous funding of the Uchiha family who had been the main benefactors of this year's expedition.

"_There are forces happening in the world, in the atmosphere and in the ocean that are going to change even the arctic and the southern ocean. It's really important to have a baseline, so that we know what we got _now _so that later, we can identify whether it's changing and put in place measures to protect it before it's lost. We urge all of you to help scientists monitor the impact environmental changes have in Antarctic waters."_

Haku continued to watch the live interview, a small smile lifting his pink lips as he saw the excitement that crossed the man's features every time he spoke about his research.

It must be nice to feel such passion over something—anything, he thought to himself as he continued to watch the man. His smile never faded as he drank in the lively sight. He liked humans, always had. He found their short lives so much more desirable than lifetimes of nothing but utter emptiness.

The way they loved, the way they lived for adventure, the way they could feel powerful emotions without the aid of another. The intensity of emotions vampires were capable of feeling were known to far surpass the meager ones of humans. They were incapable of enduring the deep seated emotions vampires fostered deep within themselves, yet that was only possible with the help of one's mate. Without them… with no light to guide their way, they were left to envy the "meager" emotions of humans, who at least felt _something_.

Their emotions were independent. They could live a lifetime without finding a mate, and still live long happy lives filled with joy and satisfaction. He wasn't against mated couples, didn't envy them or their happiness. He couldn't, not when his own teammates were such a pair.

From the very beginning when they had all been placed in the same team by the Elders, Haku had known there was something different about them. The way they looked at each other, the way they spoke to one another. He could literally feel the emotions behind every gesture. It was the reason why he felt fortunate to be part of their team.

To see a mated couple was a joy, even if they hadn't known they were mates, the feeling of serenity had still permeated around them. It had been nice to bask in the afterglow of their emotions however slight they had been when they themselves hadn't known the truth of their bond. But at least, they had felt something. It was still starkly warmer than the cold emptiness that filled his own being.

He controlled ice, but at times, he wondered if it was truly he who controlled the element, or if he was simply part of it. He felt cold inside, always had before joining Juugo and Kimimaro. The two Weapons had warmed the ice enough to keep the smile he often lwore a sincere gesture.

He thought back on that day a long time ago, when they had faced the half-breed. A memorable moment in the vampires long life for it had showed him the true intensity of the bond between mates. Kimimaro had been the target. The hybrid's power had surprised them all. His power had swiftly and suddenly come to fruitation with the shock of being attacked by the same man who'd killed his parents long ago.

Neji had been furious, rage had unlocked his power. He had drawn on his vampire side, filled his body with his inheritance, and turned himself into an untouchable being of light.

When he and Juugo had arrived, the taller vampire had reacted immediately as terror gripped his form. Juugo had instantly transported himself in front of the blinding monster in order to protect his mate. Even knowing that he would most likely perish with him, it was preferable than to become witness to his death.

Juugo's bold sacrifice had snapped Kimimaro's protective instincts to the surface, and somehow he managed to pull his mate behind him, determined to take the blow that was his to bear.

Such a sacrifice before his very eyes had lifted some of the rage that had consumed the Hyuuga. The mated mated couple before him starkly reminded him of his own position, fighting to simply stay together with Gaara, both determined to have no harm befall the other. It was enough to stop the beast in its tracks, but Neji was untrained, his power surfacing in response to his sudden emotional outburst. He had no control over it, which meant he didn't know how to draw it back into himself. His only choice was to release it.

A direct attack would have killed the two vampires, but at the last second, before he lost control of the massive light, Neji used all of his strength to turn it away from them. He disperse it around the entire area leaving the clearing in burnt ashes, and the three vampires in critical condition, but with their lives intact. Neji, in turn, was completely drained leaving him a perfect target for the Kazekage's plans to lock away his son once and for all.

He recalled the events that followed after clearly. The Kazekage's apathetic attitude toward the fallen Weapons had been the last straw for Kimimaro. He did not care if he was treated poorly, but his mate, and his friend… that was a different story altogether. As far as he was concerned, he didn't owe the Kazekage, or the rest of the Elders, anything more. He had served them for centuries, now it was time to make his own life.

The three Weapons disappeared, Juugo and Kimimaro making a home together, while Haku made his own way through life, until the day Itachi tracked him down, and persuaded him to join his expedition. Haku didn't know how the man had known of his existence, let alone how he'd found him, but after two centuries of wandering the world, his heart was slowly being encased in ice. He felt nothing but cold numbness. Itachi had given him the one thing Haku could not find in those two centuries—a purpose. To be useful... it was the only thing left to him, and so he had agreed. He would lend them his power over ice, and in turn, he was given a purpose. Only time would tell how long that purpose would last.

It was in this state that Neji found the serene-looking boy. He looked lost in thought, his eyes focused on the man being interviewed. "He must be really grateful for the funding he received from Uchiha Itachi." He quietly cut in, making his presence known.

Haku turned to him, nodding in agreement, before returning his gaze to the people on deck. They had jobs to do. They were all needed to keep the ship moving. To be of use, he knew that intimately well.

"The team is ready to depart," Neji voice, informing him of the reason he had come out here in the first place.

Another silent nod was his only response as the boy turned away from the stern of the ship where the interview was being held. "Shall we go then?"

Neji gave him a curt nod, and the two walked away from the humans to join the group of vampires Itachi had hand-picked for this mission.

* * *

The expedition had three ships to boast. Two would stay with the research crew to aid in their investigation of the Antarctic Ocean floor, while the third would remain under their benefactor's control. Itachi had hired a small vampire crew that would run the ship, the captain was a seasoned mariner who had helped the Phoenicians rule the sea when ships had first truly been the warhorse of the seas.

While the vampire crew busied themselves with getting them to their destination, the other team Itachi had hand selected were busy getting their gear together for the mission they would soon embark on.

The bow of the ship crashed through the icy waves, taking them ever closer to the massive iceberg that even now was slowly becoming visible far off in the distance.

"_We're almost there,"_ Neji thought to himself as he kept watch on the speck of white miles away still.

Having very little knowledge of vampire "_magic_" Neji could barely fathom how they had managed to lock up his mate in the massive iceberg, let alone how they transported his coffin all the way up to these Antarctic waters nearly two centuries before.

He had grown up human in an age where technology was as far advanced where a trip from Paris to London took months to complete for humans, yet unknown to him and the rest of humanity, vampires had been able to complete the same journey in half that time.

Pale lavender eyes stayed locked on the icy mass only hours away, as his mind slowly drifted away from the ship, and moved back in time. He remembered little of what happened before Gaara was taken, and what he did remember was shrouded in white spots—amnesia. He remembered being attacked by his parent's murderer, his fear turning into rage, and rage into… light?

It was complicated but it was the only way he could describe it. He knew now that it had been his own natural power. A gift from his mother's genes, and one he had been unable to fully reproduce. He could create light from nothing, but in such a concentrated dose? His every experiment had failed so far. Untrained as he was, and with no one to teach him about that part of his heritage, he would remain stumbling through his own self-made lessons blinding his eyes with every mistake. But those lessons had allowed him to at least control his power in short bursts of light. It might not have been as impressive as his first use of them, but it was something. He could even cut a few inches into a tree using his bursts of light. He knew it wasn't much, especially compared to the so-called Weapons, but it was something at least.

His mind continued to drift, still in the past, but moving forward. He had been captured by Gaara's father. The Kazekage.

Later, he would learn of his uncle's own involvement in his capture, not that Hihashi had known the true reasons for the Elder's cooperation. The Kazekage had used him in order to feed him a forbidden concoction that had the power to sever the bond between a mated couple.

A Taboo poison.

When the foul-tasting liquid slipped past his lips, it quickly worked its way into his body, literally tearing apart every incorporeal part of him that connected him to Gaara. It had been the most horrifying sensation he'd ever felt, and it still haunted him on nights when the loneliness was to much to bear.

Goosebumps erupted across his skin, making him shiver from the memory. He brought the jacket closer, barely remembering the next part.

With their bond severed the Kazekage had bid his time, waiting until Gaara entered the chamber in order to have him witness his death. How a father could put his own son through such a thing Neji could never understand, but after speaking with Sai about the events he was better able to interpret the Kazekage's intentions.

Most mated vampires did not survive the death of their other half, but there were a few who had enough strength of will to endure the passing of their mate. They were few and far between, but they existed.

"_Gaara is a powerful vampire, the chance of his survival after your death is higher than that of an average vampire," _Sai had explained. _"Most likely, the Kazekage foresaw his son's strength of will."_

_"He took a precaution, and merely simulated your death by severing your bond to him. He kept you alive as insurance in case Gaara did not fall into despair and follow you to the afterlife."_ Sai had stopped there, he remembered for he had suddenly reached out to touch his long hair, a gesture that surprised him, but one he didn't protest, by that time Neji knew of the vampire's strange quirks.

"_The Kazekage's precaution proved to be a wise decision." _He finally continued as he studied the strands beneath his fingertips, before letting them fall away.

_"Gaara did not commit suicide as most vampires would, and because of it, he was able to save your life at the expense of his freedom."_

His pale hand fell across Neji's chest, touching the area just above his heart. _"With all the effort the Kazekage had placed into the runes etched into the very earth, and the ancient incantation, it was still not enough to bind him. Even with so much stacked against him, Gaara still had enough power to break through the spell, but instead of saving himself, he chose to give you power his power."_

Sai looked up at the hybrid then, dark eyes roaming over his face curiously. _"Do you know what a power symbol is?"_

Neji shook his head having no idea what he spoke of. Sai nodded, and explained the matter.  
_"It's a symbol that carries the very power of a vampire. Only the most powerful of our kind have the strength to create one. It requires a lot of time and energy, but your mate was able to create one for you."_

"_The mark Gaara gave you—the Kanji above your heart. That is the power symbol by which he was able to pour his remaining energy into you. The wounds you sustained at the hands of his father were enough to kill you. His power kept you in a suspended state, tricking everyone into believing you were dead for your heart no longer beat, and your aura was literally snuffed out. But, what they failed to realize in their rush to lock away their prisoner was that Gaara's power had wrapped around your aura, hiding it from the most seasoned Weapon. His sacrifice gave your body enough time for its own slow healing abilities to mend the damage done to you."_

"_Itachi was the first to realize you were alive, while I finally sensed the truth of his words a week later. He gave up all of his power to keep you alive, but in doing so, he fell into his father's trap."_

Sai had explained many things Neji did not realize had happened that day. He had kept in touch with the strange vampire, the man visiting him once every year, then it became once every few years, until he followed up on his well being every decade, always making sure he was okay, his debt to his mate still peculiar to him, but it was one he appreciated for without Gaara, he had no link to the world of vampires. Sai had become that link in his mate's absence, helping him as much as his pride would allow him to take.

Neji stayed in his birth country, and watched his Uncle and cousins grow old and die. He kept watch over their children's families, and their families, lending them his help if they were ever in need of it, but always staying away.

A lonely guardian angel.

A cold eastern breeze hit his face, making him close his eyes and lose sight of the icy mass. Neji pulled his jacket closer, pulling down the hood. He ignored the vampires bustling around him, each hurrying to finish their assigned tasks before they reached their destination.

They moved around him, leaving him to his own devices. He had no task to do but wait, when Gaara was freed and awakened, then, and only then would his presence be of the up most important.

"_He will be starving," _Itachi had informed him. The older Uchiha had asked to speak with him in private before their ship departed. He had explained their plans to him, and his own role in them. Gaara had been locked away for two centuries, enough time to drive anyone mad.

"_Once he is released from his imprisonment, he will be confused. Chaos will clutter his mind. Only you, as his mate, will be able to calm him." _Itachi had told him.

"_You hold the most important task in this entire expedition,"_ he stressed. _"If he uses his power in his confusion, the chances of the ship sinking are extremely high. The two research ships are half a day away, and will arrive too late if something should happen. A vampire's body cannot withstand the frigid temperatures of the Arctic more than an hour few if they're stubborn. Do you understand your role?"_

Neji had nodded, giving him his word to do everything in his power to calm his mate. Thinking the meeting was over, the Hyuuga had moved to the door when the Uchiha's hypnotic voice stopped him.

"_Do you know… there is a moment, when a vampire's mind is in utter chaos that his powers are locked away from them, and they cannot react as they normally would?"_

The words had been odd, but his next words made his blood run ice cold. _"I put together a special group to make sure there isn't a gram of dust on this ship when Gaara is brought on board. It requires time and energy for him to create sand, both of which I have no intention of giving him."_

Neji had looked back at the older vampire, eyes wide, shocked by his words. In him, he found nothing but cold determination.

"_Control him quickly, or I will dispose of him myself. I have no intention of endangering my mate."_

Neji shivered once more, but this time from the memory of those threatening words, rather than the frigid cold seeping into his bones.

"I won't let you down…" he murmured to himself, the icy wind taking his words towards the massive iceberg. An iceberg that would soon be destroyed.

* * *

_**Next Chapter:**_ Breaking Through the Ice!

The Team Itachi put together are going to use all their power to get through the iceberg rigged with traps and spells strong enough to kill a Weapon.

As always reviews are greatly appreciated. ;)


	4. Breaking Through the Ice

A/N: I cannot imagine how anyone would still be interested in this story after my horrible lapse with it. Thank you all for the reviews that I received, both old and new. I feel that my inspiration for this story has finally revived again.

Also, here's a little break down that might help with this chapter.

Team 1: Yugao Uzuki (Leaf), Hajime  
Team 2: Chojuro (Mist), Kurotsuchi (Stone)  
Team 3: Haku (Mist), Ryota  
Team Four: Junta, Masato

* * *

_**Breaking Through the Ice**_

"_Watch out!_"

The yell splintered through the speakers snapping to attention the group on the bridge. They monitored the unit through their wetsuits, keeping track of their vitals and snapping out any fluctuations.

"Status." Itachi calmly cut in, dark eyes on the still waters beyond the bridge. His team was out there, deep beneath the frigid Antarctic Ocean. The deceptive waves lapped across the haul of the ship, hiding a menace within its depths.

The only reply he received was a long static noise that echoed across the metal bridge before going silent. Soon after another long tone gurgled through the speakers until faint words finally broke through the static.

"- triggered- trap-," Yugao, the team captain, copied back, her voice breaking mid-way through the message.

"Fix the channel."

"Yes, Itachi-sama," a young woman clipped out as her fingers danced across the keyboard followed quickly by the rest of the group. A minute later a recognizable voice filtered through. "-water snake conjured by the inscriptions on the chains," Yugao continued. "We triggered it when we disturbed the iceberg."

The captain copied back the information, even as her searchlights caught sight of a glowing blue serpent undulating through the water before it moved past the lights range and slipped back into darkness. They were over 150 feet below the surface of the water where blackness engulfed them completely. No light penetrated this far down.

"Over and Out."

Back on the bridge, the collective Itachi had gathered for this endeavor went silent.

All but one.

"We expected this," Sai kept his gaze on the video feed, catching glimpses of the snake as it passed through the beams of light. The team tried to keep track of it, but the ocean was vast and their lights could only illuminate so much at that depth.

Dark eyes shifted over to him, noting the way he kept a calm composure even as the searchlights swept the frigid waters, finding no sign of the prisoner's guardian.

From the beginning, he'd known Sai intended to be part of the team, a notion he quickly extinguished before it had time to take root. He'd been prepared to simply block his foolish idea, but found logic a better weapon, and ally.

When he insisted, he broke down the requirements of each potential member, and in the end, Sai relented. While his skills were admirable, they simply weren't an asset for this mission - a fact he accepted with time. For both their sakes. A commander needed to keep focus on the mission, but with his mate in the water, Itachi's attention would be split; a fact they both knew to be true.

Itachi kept silent but maintained his gaze on the younger male his focus drifting for a moment before he caught himself, and turned his attention back to the monitors. Each member had been outfitted with their own camera and searchlights which gave them several different vantage points of the battle below.

He remained still, watching as his team tried to locate the creature they had inadvertently released. With no prior knowledge of the dangers they would face, he could only prepare his team to a certain degree. Each had been personally handpicked for their skills and abilities. They knew the risks, knew they'd be going in blind, but accepted the mission nonetheless, trusting in his judgment, and now it was time to repay that trust.

_ x_

The still Arctic waters masked the silent chaos beneath. The serpent swept into the line of sight of the two closest to its charge and used its long tail like a whip, slamming them into the iceberg. The force of the blow crushed their oxygen tanks releasing a flurry of oxygen into the water, and obscuring their vision. The cameras captured a flash of sharp teeth before they were propelled straight to the surface making their blood bubble with nitrogen gas from decompression.

The guardian swiftly moved on to his next victim, picking out a lone intruder that had fallen behind. With a sharp hiss, it darted forward its massive body undulating in and out of the searchlights. Seconds later, it rushed up from below. Jagged teeth snapped together in a vice and tore off his left arm leaving a trail of flesh and blood behind.

Clear waters colored with red lines as the current carried the blood away in a gentle drift. The creature opened its mouth and carelessly threw the limb aside letting it lapse into the depths of the icy ocean. It turned its head back to its mangled victim and shot forward ready to tear him in half when it suddenly smacked into a wall of solid ice.

_ x_

"Junta and Masato have surfaced!"

"Send the rescue team to retrieve them," Itachi ordered.

"Ryota is hurt," one of the technicians snapped out, her eyes never leaving the monitor. "Heart rate and breathing have increased."

"His camera shows he's bleeding," a second interceded from the corner. "The serpent ripped through his arm, but he's still able to swim for now."

"Temperature dropping!" The first technician looked up at Itachi. "His suit's compromised."

Itachi said nothing, his eyes on the video footage the suits were sending. The woman waited for an answer, and when she received none she spoke up again.

"Should we... recall him?"

"If he's become a liability," Itachi put in coolly, "he'll return on his own." They knew their own limits better than anyone.

The woman looked unsure for a moment, but nodded nonetheless. She returned her attention to the monitors, and to her astonishment—

"Ryota's heart rate has just stabilized!" She leaned forward. "His temperature has stopped dropping. His breathing is elevated but within acceptable limits." She turned to face the older Uchiha whose calm gaze remained on the live footage. She wanted to say something more, but bit back the words, instead she focused on her work.

The Uchiha remained a solid presence in the midst of the chaos beneath. It calmed the technicians, making them less anxious and better able to do their jobs. They snapped out more updates, while Itachi gave out further orders whenever appropriate.

"Haku shows elevated heart rate and breathing," a man near the door called out.

The words grabbed Sai's attention, and he turned to look at the screen. "What's wrong with him?"

_ x_

The elemental creature curved its body around the shield and spotted its bloody victim being dragged away by his would-be rescuer.

"Kurotsuchi! Chojuro! Help them!" The captain snapped through the transmitter.

Out of the four groups she had split the team into, they were the closest to the struggling pair. She was too far away to get to them in time, and had her own teammate to think about. Hajime had been injured during the serpents initial attack. He'd been struck by that ferocious tail, and plunged further into the ocean's depth. She had immediately gone after him, but he'd been propelled a long way down, and the two were just now making their way back to the team.

"We're on our way," Chojuro responded as his searchlights caught sight of the serpent's ascent.

"Haku! Beneath you!" He called out.

The creature had sped off into the darkness and positioned itself for a strike from below. His searchlights had caught its ascent just in time for the Ex-Weapon to hash out some sort of defense. When the creature snapped its jaws at them it crashed into another clear wall of ice. Yet, the force of the shot was strong enough to snap the thick ice shield into pieces which crumbled down into the depths of the ocean along with the creature.

"Chojuro give me some time to get ready," Kurotsuchi told her partner. "I'll fry that annoying worm with one shot."

He nodded. "How much time do you need?"

"Two minutes."

"I'll try," was all promised, as he made his way toward the pair struggling. "Turn off your lights and wait for my signal."

"Sure, take your time," she quipped back, the smile almost audible in her tone.

When Chojuro reached the pair, he quickly reached for Royta's searchlights and switched it off. "How is he?" he asked Haku.

"Injured, but he'll live," he responded softly.

"Did you see where his arm went?" he asked, wondering if there was a chance they could retrieve it.

"It's gone," Ryota answered instead.

"You should preserve your energy," Haku told his partner, concern entering his voice.

"I'm fine," the injured man pushed his worry aside. He didn't need it. The thing might have taken his arm, but not his pride as a Ex-Weapon.

Soon after the initial attack, he'd managed to slow his heart, and lost a minimal amount of blood, but at a cost. He wasn't much use while his heart rate was this low. He couldn't use his main attack, and if he stayed down here for anymore length of time, the temperature would take him out. However much he loathed to admit it. It was time to step aside. At this rate, he was more of a burden to his team than an asset.

"I'll head up," he told them, and instantly saw the silent relief behind his partner's eyes.

"I'll escort you," Haku pitched in.

"No." Ryota shook his head. "You're needed here." He pushed off, away from the pair. "I'll see you on the surface."

"The rescue team will be waiting for you," Itachi cut in from the bridge.

"..."

This was the first time the man had used the communication systems since they went under. It surprised them all, but they soon got over it.

"Keep your lights off," Chojuro warned Ryota, who nodded back before kicking up to begin his ascent to the surface. It'd be over an hour before he got back considering the lag time he'd need for decompression. By that time, the arctic temperature would have take its toll on his body, and he'd need that rescue team.

Once the man was gone, Chojuro turned to Haku. "You should find Kurotsuchi and keep near her. I'm going to bait that thing out into the open."

Uncertainty clouded his eyes, but Haku nodded nonetheless. He didn't like it, but he didn't want to argue with him, not when they could be attacked any moment.

"Haku," Itachi's voice once again filtered through the transmitter. "Keep your distance from Chojuro, but stay close enough to provide a shield when needed."

Chojuro was surprised by the counter order. Itachi usually gave them free reign with their strategies and only cut in when he found them flawed. But still, what if the serpent went after Haku instead? They couldn't take that chance. They needed the ice wielder to penetrate the prison. It was the reason he'd been recruited in the first place.

Lines of magic flowed through the ice, and only someone with an intuitive knowledge of ice and skilled in its manipulation could possibly hope to get through the layers of power that imprisoned the coffin within.

No. They couldn't risk it. Itachi wasn't down here. Didn't know the situation. The command might destroy their only chance of succeeding.

"Haku," Itachi continued. "Please turn off your lights. We don't want the ice guardian to target you instead."

"..."

Surprise filled his eyes, and for a moment, Chojuro remained still. If his searchlights were the only ones operating, the creature would more than likely attack him before going after the others. Had that been his reasoning? He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to double guess their commander.

"We should get going."

Haku nodded in return and swam a distance away, while Chojuro - the strongest swimmer on the team - placed his lights on maximum setting. The lights swept through the water, searching for the ice guardian when suddenly a long scaly tail cut through the water. Chojuro used his high speed to kick away in time to dodge the attack by inches. He swam in the direction of Kurotsuchi using his speed to cut through the water. It took a minute before he could make out his partner, but by that time he'd heard four of Haku's shields crumble in the wake of the serpent's pursuit. Even with his speed, he was still a land creature, and no match against one bred in the sea.

"Get out of the way!" Kurotsuchi called out and Chojuro immediately kicked off to the right using all his power to speed up his muscles and jet him out of the way while he pulled out his sword - Hiramekarei.

Once the serpent was in range the water exploded in a cloud of white as she released a volcano of lava from her mouth. The serpent released a searing screech of pain, which was quickly cut off by Chojuro's sword along with its head.

Dark eyes stared intently at the falling body of the serpent, making sure it didn't suddenly resurrect itself.

"Nice to see you don't just carry that for show," Kurotsuchi teased, which had Chojuro snapping his head up in her direction. The dark look was instantly replaced by one of embarrassment as his cheeks flushed at the comment.

She grinned at his reaction. "I was just kidding, kiddo. Come on. We better get going."

He nodded at her words, unsure of how else to respond.

"Seems you're not so useless after all," Yugao commented as she and Hajime came into view a distance away.

"I should hope so, Captain" Haku responded as he too swam toward the group now that the danger had passed.

"What's the status?"

"We eliminated the first guardian, but at the cost of three of our comrades," Kurotsuchi reported.

Yugao nodded. "Let's secure the iceberg and begin the extraction process."

The troop headed for the iceberg and once there halted at its base. Haku broke off from the team and neared the large ice sculpture approaching it slowly.

"Try not to set anymore traps this time," Yugao called out as they waited a distance away.

Haku turned to look up at them for a moment, before returning to his work. The first guardian had been set loose as soon as he'd laid his hand on the ice. The trap was rigged to go off upon contact no matter how skilled they were. They couldn't stop the release of the prisoner's guardians. They knew that. All they could do was defeat them quickly before they did too much damage.

When they'd first reached the base of the iceberg - almost 150 meters down - they were expecting to trigger a trap which they did.

Now, they didn't know what to expect. Would a second trap spring forth if he touched the ice again? Yet, even if it did, he had no choice but to disturb the ice once more. It was the only way to free the coffin within.

Slowly, a steady hand reached forward and pressed against the ice.

Everyone watched. Stood silent.

"..."

Nothing happened.

Relief spread through him furthering his confidence. He pressed harder this time, letting his senses take over. He breathed slowly, letting his eyes fall shut.

He could feel the veins of power running through the ice. Like a beating heart, it pulsed with life beneath his fingertips. He stretched his senses coaxing the ice to bend to his will, to open, but it remained hard and unmoving. It pushed against his influence, and Haku gently slipped away before he truly disturbed it.

"Hajime," Haku called out to the older man. "May I ask for your opinion."

It didn't take long before Hajime was at his side. The two discussed his findings, and considered their next course of action along with the the Captain. The lines of power knitted together, entwining with themselves in complicated knots that imprisoned the iceberg and the being within. If the chain knots were cut, or the chain were broken, it would most certainly unleash a second guardian. In the end, they decided Haku and Hajime would work on unraveling the knots, since they were both better inclined toward such a feat and the rest of the team would deal with the second guardian when the trap was triggered.

Hajime worked alongside Haku, the two taking their time to disentangle the lines of power that wove around the iceberg like a mother's warm embrace. The chords of power pulsed with warm energy, yet remained unyielding to their efforts. Each time they thought they had a solid line it would knot with another, curling round and round until it was impossible not to break the chords. The knots were a chaotic mess impossible to unravel without breaking them, which was exactly what they were forced to do. They could see no other way, and with that first break, the iceberg suddenly began to pulse with a faint blue light.

"Haku. Your hands," Hajime stared down at the ice now encasing his fingers and slowly growing to envelop the rest of his hands.

Haku smiled. "I was expecting consequences for the disturbance," he replied. Hajime nodded and continued to help him with the mess and soon after his own hands began to be encased in the same solid ice.

A distance away, the rest of the team kept a close watch on their surroundings. The iceberg's light glow gave them enough light to see a meter or two into the murky water, and at a lower intensity.

"There's something out there," Chojuro's voice quietly broke through the silence.

"What is it?" Kurotsuchi asked. "Did you see something?"

"Out there. In the darkness."

"I see it," Yugao put in, her eyes fixed on a single spot. "Get ready," she told them. "Kurotsuchi you're with me," she swam forward her searchlights sweeping through the darkness until they landed on a scaly surface. The bright beams moved further up until they revealed the serpent's red eyes - watching them.

In silence. Stillness.

It remained a stone slab, a cold unmoving imposing creature sculpted by the creators of the prison.

"Chojuro. You're in charge of keeping those two safe. If that thing gets through us, take it out."

"Yes, Captain."

Orders given, the two darted forward, Yugao to the left, and Kurotsuchi to the right. Silently, they worked out an attack plan, and chose to be the aggressors this time. Yugao attacked first, giving Kurotuschi the time to prepare her own attack. When she was ready, she shot forward. She aimed at the serpent's long neck when suddenly she was struck aside by Yugao's attack.

Surprise colored her features, and her eyes widened in surprise even as the molten lava missed the creature completely. She found her wits a second later, when a large set of teeth snapped closed above her head where she'd been only moments before.

Quickly, she stopped descent and turned toward the captain. Wasn't Yugao fighting the serpent off? She'd made sure of it before she'd launched her attack. She had been aiming straight at it. Then... how? Where had it come from?

Yugao shifted her body, turning her searchlights higher, revealing a second head, and a third, fourth.

She understood now.

"There's five heads." Yugao explained.

"And three of us."

"True."

"But then," her lips quirked. "I was hoping for a challenge."

"Right then. Let's try this again."

_ x_

While Yagao and Kurotsuchi fought off the creature, Chojuro deflected any stray attacks headed for Haku and Hajime. The pair were intensely buried in their work.

They'd broken another ten chords and now their arms and legs were encased in ice. Their efforts were further abstained by the energy required to keep them in a state where they were able to manipulate the lines of power. The longer they remained in that state the more energy it took.

They worked quickly, no longer hesitant to break the knots which further encased them in ice, though the ice was a preferable to the alternative. As they untangled the iceberg from its chains, the lines of power greedily devoured their life energy in an effort to reconstruct the chains. The more bonds they dismantled, the more energy was stolen.

They didn't relent and continued to work on their task, while their comrades dealt with the hydra. It sped through the water, each head moving this way and that, taking aim at each of them. Chojuro deflected many attacks, but kept a defensive stance, while Yugao and Kurotsuchi stayed on the offensive.

"To your left," Yugao clipped out, and Kurotsuchi flipped back in time to avoid snapping teeth. She released the molten lava, aiming for the monster's massive body while Yugao used the opportunity to chop off another head.

"Two more left."

"You'll have to take them both out together. I only have enough energy for one more attack."

"That's fine," the captain responded.

_ x_

"Chojuro," Haku's whispered over the transmitter. "We could use your help."

"What do you need?" He darted toward them in an instant, taking note the other's progress with the hydra.

"We don't have the energy to finish unraveling the last dozen lines," he said.

"Take mine," Chojuro offered.

Haku smiled softly. "Thank you."

_ x_

"Now that was uglier than the last one," Kurotsuchi remarked as she leaned against Yugao, her energy all but spent. The captain had used her last lava attack to her advantage and managed to take down the creature before it had time to recover. "Not that the last one was any better looking."

Her words were followed by a bright light that quickly faded into black leaving them half blind for a few moments.

"What was that?" Yugao snapped into her transmitter.

"The chains," an exhausted voice filtered through the communication system. "They'"

"Haku. What's wrong?"

"It took more out of us than we anticipated," Hajime responded. "I'm sorry to stay, but Haku and I are little more than useless right now."

"What about our objective?"

"Once they finished with their work, I cut the bottom of the iceberg with my sword," Chojuro interceded. "We have the coffin."

"Bring it up," Itachi's calm voice filtered through.

"You heard him," Yugao said. "Let's go."

* * *

_**Next Chapter: **_

A third and final guardian is left. The coffin is opened.

FYI. While Itachi is in commander in charge of the operation, Yugao is the leader within the group. Someone they can turn to that's there in front of them, with them.

Since it's 4 am, and I've been writing for a few hours now, I think I'll just post this chapter as it is. I'll edit it tomorrow after some sleep, and remove this part here once its done!

As always reviews are greatly appreciated. ;)


	5. Shards of the Deep

**A/N: **Apparently, the only way I can get chapters out at a decent pace is by cutting the length of them. I don't like it, but it beats waiting forever for an update.  
**Edit:**Well... at least that's what I thought when I started writing this. I wrote this in one sitting again, and surprisingly, I typed out a decent length. The plot took a back-burn to character development in this chapter, but I thought it was necessary considering my fingers just kept flying over the keyboard non-stop.

* * *

_**Shards of the Deep**_

The journey to the surface was a grueling slow journey, and required more energy than they had to spare. They had over-exerted themselves in their battle against the guardians, and more so, the spells cast on the ice and chains. Haku and Hajime were completely drained and were placed on the coffin, which the rest of the team hauled behind them on the heavy chains that kept it sealed.

Their already slow pace was further encumbered with frequent stops. They halted when Itachi gave the order, and waited for the decompression numbers from the ship. Their stops were the hardest.

Their bodies drifted in an endless dark expanse of water that remained cold, dark, and wet. An eerie silence surrounded them with the occasional creature that swam by, drawing closer to inspect the foreigners in their waters. Once in a while, one of them would nip at their suits dashing away immediately when headlights suddenly turned on and whipped in their direction, the beacon of concentrated light catching only the tail end of their fins as they fled away.

It was hours later when they finally came across their first ray of natural light. They were close to the surface. No longer was the darkness all-encompassing, the light from above pierced far enough to catch a general glimpse of the world around them instead of the muted lines of sight their headlights provided.

Still they had a ways to go, and continued on. The light revitalized their static minds enough to have them look around, their eyes always straying up glimpsing the warmth of the world above.

_x_

Itachi watched his team's progress from the bridge of the ship. They were safe for the moment. The journey back to the surface was little more than an extra exertion on the mind and body. He was pleased with their performance, and would make sure they were well compensated for their efforts.

Already, he had boats waiting for their eventual emergence from the Arctic waters. Once they surfaced they would be brought on board, while the doctors checked their vitals. He had ordered their rooms readied and the staff to remain on stand-by. He had long picked up, the two that had suddenly surfaced during the attack. The doctors had kept them from bleeding out more than they already had and addressed the decompression sickness that held then within its grasp. The gaseous toxins bubbling through their blood needed to be taken care of immediately. Itachi had personally overseen their treatment and now they lay in deep sleep inside the decompression chambers. Their hearts stilled, as they fell into a death like sleep, giving their bodies the time to heal.

He kept checking on them, the doctors giving him the same answer each time - No complications. They're healing still.

Itachi was gave the same response in return, and moved his mind back to his team in the water.

He turned to the woman in command of his team's progress.

"How long?" he asked quietly, his eyes remaining on the monitor.

The woman immediately snapped her attention to him. "They have a ten minute wait time at this stop," she responded, fingers flying over the keyboard. "By our calculations, they should break the surface within an hour."

Itachi nodded, thanking the woman. He turned away from her, eyes sweeping over his crew before landing on the silent figure near the door. He was quiet, keeping out of the way. He nodded every time his mate spoke to him, keeping to gestures rather than an audible response.

Neji had watched the entire battle from the corner of the bridge, his heart pounding in his chest with every scream that echoed against the steel walls. He kept an expressionless facade, keeping his anxiety and worries to himself. Itachi had allowed him on the bridge as long as he didn't interfere and Neji had kept to that agreement. He wanted to give no reason to be removed, and so he swallowed the distress that plagued him, and kept it wrapped inside himself, crushing it smaller and smaller.

It wasn't until his mate's prison had been retrieved that Sai suddenly appeared next to him. It had taken the Hyuuga a few moments to comprehend what Sai was saying, but he nodded nonetheless. He kept quiet, unsure if he could hold his voice together with the apprehension welling up inside him with every passing moment that brought him closer to Gaara.

Sai's presence calmed him down somewhat, at least it gave him something else to think about during the long wait. The older male smiled at him, his eyes curving as he spoke about the restoration project of the cathedral Neji had begun before they had found him. His words gave him a semblance of normalcy, and even though he knew Sai was only speaking to him because of his connection to Gaara, because he had no doubt looked exactly how he felt inside, he still appreciated his words, even if they did seem off sometimes.

Sai was... unique. Half the time they exchanged words, Neji was left feeling unsure if he should be insulted or grateful Sai cared at all about him. He didn't know about his past, but he suspected something bad. Why else would he be shocked over simple things like being called a friend. He didn't really understand him, which was amazing in of itself when the man hid nothing. Sai was an open book, saying everything he thought exactly as he saw it without any social filters. He didn't play games unless he was was curious, and even then, he would tell you bluntly, and yet... with Itachi.

His interactions with his mate were... odd. On the surface, they seemed perfectly acceptable, but then Sai would do or say something, and suddenly he felt like he was intruding. Sai was a physical person touching people with small gestures here and there. They didn't mean much, at least from his end, he just interacted with both words and physical contact, and yet, he never once initiated any contact with his mate. It was odd, but it wasn't Neji's place to judge them, even when there was a clear divide between them.

He was grateful for everything they had done for him, even if the initiator was Sai. He knew well enough Itachi cared little for the expedition other than his mate's own vested interest in it. Itachi had made it exceedingly clear he cared little if they saved or killed Gaara in the end. He was there because of Sai, nothing more.

Neji would remember that. He had no intention of letting anyone kill his mate. He'd face off against the seemingly immortal Uchiha if he needed to, though he had little hope of winning a confrontation between them. Even now, he still had little control of his powers having no reason to use them, let alone the mindset to explore them. He wasn't born a vampire - not fully. While it would have been as natural as breathing to them to explore their powers, it was foreign to Neji, but more importantly, he had no interest in them.

Ever since he had lost his connection with his mate, Neji had spent night after endless night contemplating an unforgivable sin and it was all he could do to remain coherent enough to put the knife down on shaky hands. When all the world was sleeping, the man in white robes walked through the empty halls of the old cathedral, sleeping in a bed that had long ago lost the scent of his mate. The looming structure with its underground tunnels and a room that to this day remained undiscovered was the last connection he had to everything he had ever loved and lost.

His shoulders slumped.

"Are you tired?" Sai asked, tilting his head to the side as he regarded the man in front of him. He laid a hand on his shoulder, remembering the gesture as one that conveyed sympathy.

The action snapped Neji back to the present. It took him a moment to figure out what Sai had said, when suddenly he felt an overwhelming force bare into his back with enough power it was all he could do to turn in pursuit of the source, and when he finally managed to turn around, he locked eyes with the rumoured Sharingan.

"..."

He swallowed hard.

Perplexed eyebrows knitted together at Neji's slow turn. Was he okay? He didn't look like it. Unaware of the power play between the two men, Sai poked Neji's back in a second attempt to get his attention, which only increased the pressure building around the Hyuuga.

"Are you okay?" Sai asked, and when no answer was forthcoming, he stepped to the side to look past him. He saw Itachi talking to one of the technicians. When he looked back at Neji, the man looked a little paler than usual, but nodded at his question.

"You don't look like you are," Sai bluntly stated.

Neji didn't answer, and looked away instead which had Sai asking him if he was trying to "act tough" as his books often described. The assessment threw Neji off guard, even more so, when Sai followed it with a, "You don't look tough," comment that sounded completely serious the Hyuuga wasn't sure if Sai was saying that to distract him from his mate's unwelcoming aura or if he even noticed the exchange at all. Had Itachi hidden it from him? But how? Mates couldn't hide anything from each other, at least that's how it had been between Gaara and him. Their bond allowed them to share each other thoughts, all the good and the bad, and all the ones Neji wished no one would ever see. Again, Neji was left feeling off balance, not knowing if Sai was mocking him, or genuinely concerned.

_x_

Itachi had been watching the two for some time now, the cogs of his mind turning with every passing second. They weren't done yet - not nearly. He knew the old spells the Elders had used to keep that vampire locked away. They had intended to keep him imprisoned close to eternity as they were capable. Raising the deathtrap to the surface was only half the battle, the hard part had yet to come.

Itachi had kept an eye on the halfling noting the way his mate kept retuning to him every now and again making an attempt to speak to someone who had no wish to do so. Itachi would have interfered if he didn't think Sai would take it as failure on his part. He had watched his mate watch the Hyuuga and pull out one of his social queue books. He flipped through a few pages, no doubt confirming his next set of actions, before putting it away and walking toward the silent figure.

This was the third time since the underwater team had secured the package that Sai had attempted to speak to him. Neji had remained silent, but he was at least listening, nodding every now and again.

He imagined the entire ordeal would have been difficult to get through, but it wasn't his mate in the water, locked away, starving. It had been 200 years since Neji had seen Gaara. Itachi could not imagine two months without catching a glimpse of Sai's face, let alone two centuries. He did not fault him for his silence, nor his mate for his tenacity, yet... it was difficult to watch Sai put so much effort in his interactions with others, while displacing himself from Itachi's reach as much as he could.

They were mates only in title, and even that Sai had yet to fully embrace. He no longer outright denied it - not always - but his actions were clear enough. He never tried to speak to him, not the way he did with out-right strangers, and over time, Itachi had simply accepted it. He knew why Sai was the way he was, at least with others.

His time in ROOT had denied him the freedom to be anything but a tool with no emotions to sway his sword. Sai had managed to free himself from those chains, almost losing his life. The thought itself always sent a flash of fear through him, making him seek out their bond to confirm Sai was indeed well and alive. And every time he found himself in front of a granite wall that denied him entrance to his mate's mind. The bond was there, it would always be there, but the intimacy of sharing their minds was forever denied to him.

He sighed.

He admired Sai for his strength, for the ability to learn how to become his own person when everything he had ever been had been stripped from him. He had learned a lot those few times Sai had finally snapped his fuse, and Itachi had forced his way into his mind.

Sai had been broken long before most children were still tucked in bed by their parents, and now, he wanted to retrieve what he'd lost. He wanted to be accepted, to be like everyone else, to fit in. Yet, he didn't. His way of thinking was so skewed he doubted his efforts would ever turn him into the person he thought he wanted to become.

His interactions with his brother's mate was enough indication of that. Every time Sai tried to become friends with Naurot it ended in utter disaster, which had Sasuke at odds with him sometimes, but then Sai would apologize essentially for being himself, and would remain a silent figure in the Uchiha compound painting his days away for a while.

It was odd finding out so many small things through observation rather than their mind link. He had always expected to learn everything their was to learn about his mate within a few short weeks of sharing themselves in every way. He didn't ever suspect learning about his mate would require more detective work, than Itachi had undertaken since his time as a Weapon.

For instance, Sai didn't like it when he and Sasuke quarreled. It was one of the rare times, Sai came to him. He would find him in his bedroom sitting on a chair, waiting for him. It always surprised Itachi, since normally, Sai avoided his bedchambers like the plague. Sai would smile at him, touch him, speak with him, and in the end, he would promise to speak with his brother and would extract a kiss as payment, which Sai obliged him with without complaint.

He still didn't fully understand Sai, but he was learning. It was a painstakingly slow process when Sai tended to make an effort to walk around him, to interact with him in total opposition than he did with others. He had asked him why before, demanding it when things had seemed utterly bleak, and Sai had answered him in his own complicated manner. It took him some time to finally decipher his words, but he thought he understood.

He had been robbed of everything he was and would become once before. He looked at Itachi not as his other half, but as someone who could rob him of his freedom - of himself - a second time. He had worked so hard to free himself that first time, he would not let his wings be clipped a second so easily.

Itachi had further reinforced this notion when he'd first found him. He had used his powers to control his body and make him obey, then later imprisoned him in his familial home, and even more damning, he had invaded his mind to extract information he was unwilling to give.

Itachi was well aware of his mistakes, had made more since that time, but how did Sai expect him to act? Everything inside of him, every instinct, urged him to take. He had grown more tolerant of his mate's ways, and even gave him the freedom he sought, but not without a price.

Sai disliked the Uchiha compound, so Itachi gave him the choice to going anywhere else he wished as long as they went together. He had the resources and means to satisfy his mate's every whim, and had the patience to suffer through the endless lines at museums, crappy tourist attractions, and nature adventures that left him sleeping on dirt for more money than a five star hotel.

He endured all of this for a simple kiss a day. It was a deal Sai had thought over and eventually agreed to and kept.

Yet, even with this much understanding of Sai's ways, Itachi was still his mate. Still felt the surge of unwavering jealousy anytime Sai touched another when he so blatantly made it a point to avoid unnecessary contact with him.

Itachi's eyes narrowed when his mate laid a hand on his Neji's shoulder. He knew Sai meant nothing by the gesture, nor did Neji see anything in it, but it still tore at him to see the simple manner his mate spoke to him, smiled, and touched him. His Sharingan spun without his knowledge, and when the Hyuuga turned around it captured him in its grip. It was only when he noticed Sai's movements did he look away, releasing Neji.

Sai of course didn't notice his state, why would he? He never attempted to reach out to him with his mind. Never tried to connect with him to see his current mindset, to feel it. He always blocked him, made a conscious effort to. While everyone around him might have felt his aura darken, Sai did not. How could anyone expect him to when he had a constant wall between them at all times?

He turned to the woman beside him as Sai turned to look at him. "Please report any changes." He told her in a neutral tone. "I'll be on the deck."

The woman had felt the way his aura had darkened only moments before, the feeling having crawled over her skin considering how close she was to him. It was gone now, vanishing as quickly as it'd come.

Itachi looked at her.

Her eyes widened, realizing she had yet to answer him. "...Yes. Itachi-sama."

The Uchiha gave her a polite nod, before turning to leave, but instead of heading for the deck, he crossed the bridge toward his mate and his companion.

Sai looked over at him, giving him a questioning look. "Is everything okay?" he asked, his eyes shifting toward the monitors.

"We have an hour before they breach the surface," Itachi informed him, which had Sai's gaze turning back to him. "You should take the time to re-check your supplies," he told him in a quiet voice filled with a subtle softness he used only for him. "You won't have any when the time comes."

Sai took a moment to look over at Neji, before turning back to Itachi and nodding. He stepped past him, heading for the door when his hand was suddenly captured in a gentle hold.

He stopped.

"..."

Looked over his shoulder to Itachi, who looked back at him.

"Be careful."

He blinked, surprised by those words. Feeling unusually conscious of them and the way Itachi looked at him, Sai hesitated the simple touch all but burning through his skin making him feel unusually self-conscious.

"... I will."

He should have been used to this, the way his skin burned every time Itachi touched him, the way his eyes needed to look away each time those eyes captured him in their hold. He told himself it was because of his powers. The threat of his Sharingan had to be the reason why his body seemed to freeze in place, why his breaths suddenly fell short every time his gaze lingered on him. It wasn't always like this - his avid reaction - but it had become frequent enough to notice, and he was beginning to take note of the small differences. He didn't know what they were or why they seemed to be absent with anyone else. That knowledge did nothing to relieve his symptoms, didn't stop him from pulling away from the unknown that rose deep within him. He didn't like it.

Quietly, he tugged at his hand asking to be let go, and after a moment, Itachi released him, watching him as he left the bridge without looking back.

Disappointment clouded his usually confident eyes.

He was both his Archilles Heel and Pandora's Box all wrapped into one flesh. He held the key to his utter destruction and happiness. Sometimes, Itachi wondered if Sai had already chosen his fate for him? Was he stringing him along? The thought had crossed his mind more than once. He was his mate, and yet, after this long, he had yet to fully accept it. He was aware Sai was harder to convince than most, but this-this was to much. Did he think he would relinquish his claim over him if he simply waited long enough? Did he suppose he would grow tired of him? The utter frustration, confusion, and agonizing pain Sai instilled him with such a simple gesture left Itachi feeling agitated making him brusque and abrupt.

Sharp eyes turned to Neji, piercing through him with icy shards. Any signs of emotion had been obliterated, leaving the Hyuuga staring into a pair of empty dark eyes.

"You know your part," he reminded him. "Keep him in line, or I will burn that coffin with both of you in it."

At those words, Neji's neutral stance was easily swept away like a leaf in the wind. His hands fisted at his sides in an attempt to stop himself from lashing out. His eyes flared with anger as dark emotions convulsed within him at the blatant threat toward him and his mate. Itachi had made his stance exceedingly clear before. He was well aware, the only reason the man had seen it fit to have him on the ship at all was to use him as bait.

He understood why, knew the reasoning behind it. Gaara would awaken in a state of virtual starvation and his instincts would propel him to satisfy this need. He'd take from the closest person to him, which by all accounts would be a very drained Sai. No one was more equipped to handle the seals that imprisoned his mate than Sai. He was an expert at Fūinjutsu, sealing techniques, Danzou had trained him well.

Itachi hadn't wanted him in the water, so he had retrieved others that held enough skill to retrieve the coffin. Once on the surface, Sai was one of few that could unseal it, but at least on the ship, Itachi would be there to protect him. And Neji... Neji would remain with the coffin at all times. When Sai did unseal it, he would be left drain and useless. He wouldn't have the strength to protect himself when Gaara awoke. Itachi would be there, but he would take no chances.

Instincts would rule him, and even in that savage state, he would be able to sense his mate so close to him, especially if he was bleeding - fact he'd left out to both Neji and Sai.

Normally, Neji would have been able to call Gaara out of his instinctual mindset, he was his mate after all. Neji had the power to call him from death doors if Gaara had the strength to crawl back to life, but this wasn't a normal situation. before Gaara was placed in his death bed, their bond had been severed.

In theory, there was nothing connecting them, yet Neji was still his mate... but without the bond... all knowledge of such a condition had been lost to time, along with the spell - or so they'd thought. That spell was an abomination, something everyone had agreed needed to be wiped out, but as with all sources of power, a copy had been saved. The single excerpt had laid in the Library of the Elders gathering dust.

"I know what I must to do," Neji responded coldly, a contrast to the heated anger inside.

Itachi watched him quietly. He knew he had wrongly lashed out at him, but he did not apologize for it. He simply nodded.

"Be on the bridge within the hour," he said in a more neutral tone, as he turned away, heading for the deck.

Neji seethed inside, but kept a calm appearance. He left the bridge, taking the opposite exit from the other and headed to his room. He needed time to calm down, time to think. He would soon lay eyes on Gaara again, and the prospect of it erased the anger the Uchiha had managed to instill in him. He had waited so long for this day, he refused to let ugly emotions spoil it.

He closed the door behind him, and quietly, leaned against it. He breathed in and out, taking a moment to bring forth memories of old. He held them tightly to himself, partaking in their warmth, and willingly losing himself in them.

He stayed this way for a long time, until the sudden pounding on his door had his eyes snapping open. It took him a moment to realize where he was, before his eyes fell to the clock.

"Neji-sama," they spoke in a breathless voice as if they had run down the entire flight of stairs and through the hallways to get to his door.

"Itachi-sama said you have ten minutes," before they finished the message, Neji threw open the door, moving past him as he hurried to the deck.

_Ten minutes. Ten minutes. Ten minutes. Ten minutes. Ten minutes. _

He repeated the time in his mind like a mantra as he burst through the doors to the deck, the dim sunlight of the Arctic greeting him.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: **_

The coffin is hauled to the ship where Sai begins to unseal it, while Itachi is distracted by an uninvited guest from the deep. Neji remains by Gaara's side until the chains are unsealed and his mate is unlocked.

As always reviews are greatly appreciated. ;)


	6. Unsealed

**A/N: **Just in time for Halloween! And in perfect symmetry, there are a few monsters included in this chapter. Now on to important information! I've had a lot of requests to finish my last story "Surrender". The question that befalls you is: Would you prefer if I finished this story first, then move onto "Surrender", or vice versa? Or would you prefer I update both stories at the same time? Also, thank you for all your wonderful reviews! I love them all to pieces and they're a great motivater. Now, I hope you enjoy this latest installment. XD

* * *

_**Unsealed**_

"Grab the chains!"

The hand on the boat called out as the team resurfaced. They were tired and in long need of rest, so when the order came out, they didn't argue. They gladly handed over the iron weights to the crew on the rescue boat. The hands took a hold of them and suddenly pitched forward as the nose of the boat tipped into the ocean, drawing rivulets of water inside the vessel. The crew reacted quickly, and pulled the chains up distributing the weight between them and away from the bow that rose from the oceans grip.

When the crew finally managed to secure the line, they looked at each other. Silently asking between themselves just how the others had carried it for hours. When no answers arose, they turned to the underwater team who were now being helped into another boat.

On the ship's deck, Itachi watched on in silence. He wasn't concerned over the near mishap. After all, the iron line was the only thing keeping that coffin from sliding back into the ocean. The Elders had meant to keep it nestled in that mass of ice and water. Anything less would have been unacceptable.

"Leave it in the water," Itachi ordered into the small headset attached to his right ear. The crew on the bridge received the command and moved to communicate it to the rest of the teams.

He watched from the deck as his people moved to follow his orders. They helped the underwater team into two boats that took them back to the ship. The original boat remained in the water, while the men struggled to keep the heavy chains from falling back into the deep.

Satisfied with their work, Itachi calmly reached for the top button of his coat and pushed it through a slit in the fabric. Quick fingers unfastened the rest until the coat fell away from his shoulders sliding to the ground. He stepped forward leaving behind the pool of cloth. Without missing a beat, he stepped up onto the railing of the ship. He stood there a moment, surveying his team as they worked to fulfill his orders. His eyes shifted then to the platform attached to the side of the ship. He watched as the hands cleared the area leaving only his mate and the Halfling on the upraised dais anchored to the platform. The jump caused both Neji and Sai to look up in time to see the Uchiha silently land and step onto the platform.

"Lower it."

"Yes, Itachi-sama." The response was quick and he could hear as the bridge relayed his orders. He kept off the circular dais the two men occupied. Sai turned to face him, and Itachi could see the firm conviction behind his eyes.

"The seals are in place," Sai motioned to the detailed runes that embellished the marble dais. "You will need to place the coffin in these central seals here," he pointed to them.

Itachi shifted his gaze to the stipulated runes, then returned his eyes to him. "I will meet your requirements," Itachi assured him, then turned to the other.

"I will deliver the coffin," he promised him. Neji stared back at him, then looked out to the boat where his beloved drifted beneath the waves in deep slumber. His heart pounded in his chest but his resolve was firm. He nodded in turn just as the mechanical lift picked up the platform from the deck. When it was sufficiently high enough to pass over the railing, it extended the metal arm out into the ocean until the structure swayed above the Arctic waters. The arm stopped, and the structure began to be slowly be reeled down.

Itachi watched as his mate and the Halfling quickly balanced themselves making sure not to smear any of the seals. He knew the painstaking process Sai had taken to produce the runes that now covered every inch of the upraised marble. The endowment of energy they would give him while he unraveled the thread of power overlaid across the coffin was well worth the price paid in blood - literally.

Sai had used his own blood in order to produce and sustain an unbreakable link between himself and the circle of power. Aside from the bond between mates, there was no greater tie than a blood bond. There were a few different types of blood bonds, and Sai had used one form of them tie himself to his seals of power in order to have a constant energy source while he worked. They also served as an anchor to this world. It was easy to be swept away by the power one felt as they left their bodies behind in order to pursue an objective outside the physical world. The binds that crossed Gaara's coffin were invisible to the naked eye, and could not be undone with any material weapon.

_Like dissolves like._

They were the words of a master of long ago that had taught him fuuinjutsu at Danzou's request. He had made mistakes, but he had also learned quickly. He soon found that undoing a seal someone very much wanted kept in place was a dangerous task. With the mind completely focused on the task of unraveling, the body was left vulnerable in a place where no one but the cipher could remain. This was a true seal, not inscriptions placed on chains meant to keep an object in place like the kind Haku and Hajime had dismantled on the iceberg.

Sai had sealed his blood within the runes, and so they allowed him entry into the circle of power. He had mixed some of Neji's blood in a limited area that gave him a full path from the edge of the circle to the coffin. Once activated, Neji would be limited to that space alone. He would not be allowed to move outside the runes that did not hold his blood, if he did, he'd disrupt the flow of power, but more significantly, his mind would be captured by the massive flow of energy. There was little chance of a trained fuuinjutsu cipher to escape that fate, but there was none for an untrained one. Neji's mind would instantly be caught between Sai's circle of power, and the seals the Elders had placed. His mind would be torn between the two and destroyed, while his body remained behind devoid of its host.

Neji had no intention of stepping foot outside his area. The reason why he held the space with Sai, even with the very real risk to himself, was due to his unique ability. It allowed him to fight off almost anything that might be unleashed with the disentangling of the seals on Gaara's coffin. Sai had asked him about his power when they first started this journey and over time, he came to understand more about them than he did himself. He didn't know much, didn't care to learn, but Sai had told him he could help if he wished. Neji had accepted of course, but had no way of knowing how he was supposed to help when he barely understood the full process of what Sai was about to undertake. Itachi had asked for the same access, and had offered his blood as well. However, Sai had explained it was impossible.

A circle of power was meant to hold only the cipher's blood, introducing a second entity into the mix complicated matters. Fortunately, Sai had done it once before, sharing the circle with his master in a training exercise. Although difficult, he could endure it, but involving a third entity was inconceivable. His mind would be split in too many directions. Unraveling the seals, while constantly adjusting for the foreign entity required tremendous discipline, trying to adjust for a second entity would introduce too many variables and the complexity of the circle would be impossible to maintain. In the end, Itachi had to accept it. He preferred Neji, who was about the only person capable of controlling Gaara, to be present rather than himself who would be busy coordinating his team against possible traps.

Sai and Neji and worked together, and Neji learned enough to understand the basic idea of what the other was going to do. Sai gave him a full path to the coffin, but more importantly, out of the circle. If he encountered anything he could not defeat he would step out of the circle and let Sai's defenses take over. The artists defenses would not distinguish between friend or foe and would attack anything that stepped foot in the circle.

The structure soon touched water, which had Sai and Neji gathering their footing once more. Once the structure touched water, Itachi turned to Neji. "Please lend your power to my mate however he needs it," a formal request, and one the Uchiha did not make lightly. Neji nodded. He would give him every last bit of strength he had if it meant Gaara's release.

Itachi then walked toward the dais to the edge of marble. "I apologize," Neji's brows creased in confusion at those words, and looked down in time to see the blur of the Uchiha's hand followed by an unexpected warmth mixed with a flash of pain. Neji immediately pulled back, his hand instinctively going up to his cheek where it was met by liquid heat. He pulled his hand away and stared at blood stained fingers.

"Your human side makes your healing abilities slower than ours," Itachi said with no hint of remorse. "This will be enough."

"What are you doing?!"

Sai was at Neji's side within moments, his hand already reaching to stop the blood flow. "It can't make contact with the seals, it will-"

Itachi grabbed Sai's hand before it reached the Halfling's cheek. The Uchiha stared directly at Neji. "Then smear it. Fresh blood will attract Gaara's attention when he awakens."

Neji stared back at him, his actions finally making sense. He understood. This was his guarantee. He had wondered why Itachi had so easily allowed someone untrained like him to assist his mate.

_Very well. _

He turned back to Sai. "It's fine. I won't let it fall on the seals," he promised as he brought up his bloodied hand and wiped the blood down his cheek, leaving behind a red smear against his pale skin. He did not like his methods but Itachi was right. Gaara's mind would be in a state of chaos, and he'd be ruled by instincts. Fresh blood would indeed attract his attention to him rather than an exhausted Sai nearby.

Once he was sure Neji understood, Itachi released Sai's hand, and turned away facing the ocean. He stepped off the platform, and disappeared. His body blurred as he hit the water at a running pace. It didn't take long to reach the boat where the hands struggled with the chains.

"Return to the ship," he told them, taking over their task. The remaining crew quickly nodded and gratefully handed over the iron chains. They moved into the last waiting boat, and were returned to the ship.

Itachi waited until they reached the safety of the ship before tossing the end of the line back into the ocean. He kept a firm grip on the iron line as the end disappeared into the water. When the weight finally reached a single area of resistance it snapped tight, forcing the Uchiha's shoulders forward. Itachi took a moment to gather his footing then began the long process of hauling the chains up. He let the line fall back into the ocean as the coffin rose from the deep, swaying in turn with his movements.

"Now," he clipped out into the headset as he continued dragging the chains out of the water.

"We've detached the platform," his team responded back within a minute. From the corner of his eye, Itachi saw as the mechanical arm separate from the structure letting it drift over the water. Sai and Neji were off the dais and on the platform when the release occurred. They remained in place as the structure floated away from the ship. When they were fifty meters out the polymer ropes lifted from the water cascading water all the way back to the ship where the ropes were attached. They drifted in place, anchored to the ship by twin ropes.

Once the structure was secured, the two returned to the dais. Sai began gathering his power, and Neji entered the circle. He took a monk's repose and focused his power the only way he knew how.

Itachi returned his attention to the task at hand, and little by little, he lifted the ancient casket from the depths until he could see the blurry image of the capsule just beneath the waves. With one last exertion, the coffin broke the surface of the water.

The sky instantly darkened, and the motionless grey clouds suddenly began to move, swirling in anger as the ocean winds kicked up creating a storm.

It had begun.

Itachi ignored the obvious ruse, and took a hold of the coffin. He didn't waste time and jumped off the boat at a running pace dragging the coffin behind him. The casket dragged through the ocean forcing the Uchiha's speed well below his average rate. It was enough to have his leg fall half a foot through the water with every step, if he slowed down any further he'd fall through the surface. He wasn't worried. He wasn't fast enough to run smoothly over the water with the added weight, but even this wasn't enough to slow him down to the point of falling through the water. It was an annoyance, nothing more.

By the time he reached the structure, Sai was already helping him place the coffin within the instructed area. When it touched the solid surface, a cyclone too touched down half a mile away. Sai immediately activated his seals which suddenly came to life glowing with power as he began the unraveling process.

Once the capsule was secured, Itachi turned away from his mate, repeating orders that were snatched away with the high winds. It took three times, but eventually a team of four jumped off the ship heading straight for the cyclone. Each had a unique ability that corresponded to the elements. He was confident they would take care of the first trap.

Back on the dais, Neji ignored the storm as he struck at Gaara's prison. He was there, right there! Only a few feet away away from him. A layer of wood and iron the only thing separating him from Gaara, and yet he couldn't reach him, couldn't free him!

While Sai continued with his work, the chains suddenly grew taunt as they revitalized with energy and slowly began to wind themselves around Sai. It was the same trap from below. Neji remembered. Haku and Hajime had been assaulted similarly while working on the iceberg, but instead of ice, it was the chains themselves this time. Neji pulled them back as best he could, but the iron weights were impossible to halt. Determined to stop them, the Hyuuga pulled back. He gathered his powers as best he could and suddenly Itachi had to cover his eyes as a blinding light enveloped the structure. Sai was already deep in slumber in a trance-like state, which left him unaffected by the Hyuuga's concentrated display of power. Neji's attack temporarily stopped the chains, and gave Sai enough time to unravel the seals fueling their attempt on his life. Yet, the display of power had another effect, it forced Itachi off the platform as his eyes burned from the sudden assault on his vision. He jumped back onto the water where weathered hands snatched his feet, and dragged him down into the water. Concerned voices immediately filtered through is ear piece as he disappeared from view.

The Uchiha kicked out, freeing his leg when another pair of bony hands captured his left hand in a vice like grip, and a third took a hold of his other leg. He couldn't see his opponent, while dots of colored light shifting in color with every second obscured his vision.

He was dragged deeper into the abyss, the ocean's grip over him increasing with the growing number of hands grappling at his body until he broke out in an underwater spin, using the force of his turns to loosen the unknown assailants. He then pulled out his katana, and sliced through flesh over and over until crimson tainted the surrounding water.

_xxxxxxx_

Back on the platform, a swarm of mermaid-like monsters dragged themselves out of the Antarctic waters and onto the platform. The Hyuuga had left the dais some time ago, and expertly combated them back. He might not have known how to properly control his powers, but he had always excelled at hand to hand combat. Yet, he was being overrun. There were simply too many of them and he didn't have Itachi's speed.

A kick or two here, another there, and Neji dispatched two more creatures, but four more crawled up the opposite side and ran toward the dais, using their hands to drag themselves toward the marble aiming for Sai's head. Neji cut them off, using his light which had the hoard behind him screeching with rage, and he was forced to retreat back to the dais.

It was obvious to even the most unskilled observer that he was fighting a losing battle. The creatures soon over-ran the marble and obscured the runes to the point where they began to dim from the shroud cast over the circle of power. He fought them off, using a portion of his power to destroy any who attempted to touch Sai with shards of light. He kept them at bay this way, but he was soon losing ground again. The creatures surrounded him on all sides. A portion attacked him straight on, while the majority raced toward Sai intent on the cipher's demise.

_xxxxxxx_

Free from the unknown hands, Itachi shot out of the water, and landed on the nearby boat he had deserted not long ago. It took him a minute to regain a portion of his vision, but when he did, he was greeted with the sight of his mate under attack. The same slimy hands that had tried to pull him under were now swarming the structure.

"Ningen."

A trick of the Elders. The creatures must have been released when the iceberg was compromised, and had probably followed his crew the entire way back. His features darkened as he saw the humanoid monsters trash across the platform and onto the dais aiming for his mate's death.

His Sharingan spun.

The boat toppled over as the Uchiha used it as leverage to increase his speed. He moved toward his mate, but before he could touch the structure, a colossal tentacle shot through the water capturing him mid-air. The appendage squeezed him tightly attempting to crush him to death. Sharp, finely serrated fang-like rings tore into his skin holding him in place while the suction cups further locked in his fate. Prey captured, the tentacle slammed back into the water, taking its victim to the main body hidden beneath the surf.

The shock of the tentacles retreat reverberated over the surface in the form of large waves which caused the ropes attached to the platform to grow taunt. The sudden jerk of the shifting waves forced Neji to his knees which had the ningen pouncing on him.

"Get up!" Kurotsuchi demanded as she kicked the monsters aiming for him off the structure.

"We can't do anything about the ones up there with you," Chojuro apologized. "You'll have to take care of them yourself." They were limited to the platform.

"Now get up!" Yugao snapped.

Shocked by their presence, the Hyuuga took a moment to follow through and get back on his feet. He dispatched the remaining creatures, clearing the runes once more and watched in relief as the seals glowed with strength once more.

"Don't looked so shocked Halfling," Kurotsuchi laughed as she cut off a humanoid head, then demolished the writhering body back into the Arctic. Neji stared back at them in shock, hadn't Itachi ordered everyone to protect the ship no matter what?

"Itachi sent us as back-up before the thing took him," Chojuro explained.

"Yeah. We could all see you were in over your head," Kurotsuchi waved a finger at the white-robed Halfling. "So, why don't you take a breather while we take care of these things. They weren't nearly a match for us on the ship." She tutted.

Along with the platform, the creatures had attacked the ship, but they had easily kept them at bay. They had been tired, but a pint or two of hot blood had taken the edge of their exhaustion. The doctors had done the rest. They weren't nearly at top shape but they could fight. Besides, there were other strong vampires on board.

Yugao snapped around feeling something crackle through the air. "What's that?" she demanded just as the shift of power flashed beneath the Arctic, and Itachi shot out of the water while pieces of the tentacle fell from his body.

"Hmph, show off," Kurotsuchi commented with a grin. She had little time to say more when a familiar serpent rose its head from the water, hissing in anger. "Aww, come on! Not this again!" she huffed.

Itachi soon landed on the platform, while the two women ran after the guardians from before. Itachi looked on, noting that the ningen weren't the only ones that had followed them up.

"Keep this area clear of those things," Itachi addressed Chojuro who immediately raised his great sword, and looked toward his enemies with determination. Confident in his abilities, while the Uchiha returned to the battlefield.

He move to help Yugao and the girl when he was cut off by an array of colossal tentacles larger than the last. They rose from the Arctic, drawing a river of water that rained over him as he dodged their deadly swings. From the surface, Itachi could not pin-point how many colossal squids now attacked him, but their was more than one this time. They slammed their enormous limbs simultaneously across the water creating a series of tidal waves that struck the platform with enough force to catapult Chojuro and Neji off the structure as it toppled over, slamming into the water face down.

"-Sai!"

Itachi's heart pounded in his chest as he saw his mate go under. He remained attached to the dais, the runes keeping him in place along with the coffin, but it also left him without a champion, a fact the ningen immediately pounced on. The mermaid-like monsters shot through the water their bony hands thrust forward as they aimed to tear him apart.

The dais glowed with power and as swiftly as the ningen breached the circle, his defenses triggered. A large almost incorporeal tiger tore through the first creature tossing its dismembered head aside, as its paws slammed another away. The tiger was part of the circle, and like its master, it was attached to the dais. It ran across the marble, gravity having no hold over its surreal form, and slashed at anything that disturbed the runes whether friend or foe. The tiger even tore through two of Itachi's men attempting to turn over the structure, and one had to be returned back to the ship in need of medical attention when his leg was torn open.

With a giant splash, the structure was once again upright, and Chojuro returned to his place, ready to make amends for having left his post. He was joined soon after by Neji who entered the circle, but he was little more than useless. He fell on his knees, his hands desperately rubbing at his chest as the freezing water threatened to stop his heart from hypothermia, or so he thought. Even now, he still had a human mindset and the frigid water had hit him like a knife to his gut. He didn't know how he was still alive, let alone breathing... but he wasn't the only one. All around him he saw men slammed into the water and return as if it was nothing more than a nuisance. How could they not feel it? Even now he trembled uncontrollably, worried over frostbite.

"We're not human," Chojuro smiled back at him, as if reading his mind. Neji stared at him. He knew that... but aside from his extended lifespan he had never really felt the truth of that. His time with Gaara and his world had been short-lived and he had wanted nothing to do with it when his mate had been taken away and their bond destroyed. While he recalled those memories his temperature began to rise, his body adjusting to the cold. It took him longer than those around him, but he was untrained and again, his human side slowed the process. Nonetheless, Neji nodded back at Chojuro and stood up. He could do this. If they could endure, then so could he.

Back on the water, Itachi jumped in the air and unleashed a spew of black fire across the multitude of tentacles targeting him. He watched as the fire spread down to the bodies below instigating a chorus of eerie death cries.

Before the last tentacle slammed into the water, Itachi had already landed on the waves and was heading back to the lone structure that held his mate. He burned the surrounding ningen creating a ring of fire around the structure. When he turned toward the marble circle, the tiger growled at him. Itachi stared back at it, as he gave out a list of orders. He watched as its wispy body swirled with the wind like smoke in the air, coming back together into a solid mass anytime it felt something disturb its master's circle.

His orders went through, and Itachi waited for his men to move into place before the next attack came. He stayed in place, watching as the began the moon began to rise in the horizon bringing it with the first shards of light.

"What do you think will come ne-" Chojuro's words were cut off, when the iron chains around Gaara's coffin suddenly gave way and fell into the ocean. "He did it!" Chojuro exclaimed.

Itachi looked on. "No," he watched as a second set of seals began to glow from the coffin itself. "Not yet."

The unraveling of the first set of seals sent a flash of power across the ocean warning its wardens of the failure to come.

A single shriek pierced the sky, and a cacophony of wails answered back.

"Get ready," Itachi warned.

Darkness descended.

Waves of cyclones touched down on the water creating chaos across the water's surf. Hundreds of ningen took advantage of the changing landscape, and torpedo just below the surface of the water, followed closely by undulating serpents. They all rushed toward the platform and Itachi's team could do nothing but brace themselves and face them head on.

The moon slowly rose through the night sky, the shimmering light reflecting the bloody water that now enveloped the once pristine waters. It revealed the chaos that was the unsealing of a demon that was never meant to walk the earth again.

The ship was now in the grips an array of tentacles that intended to sink it to the bottom of the Arctic. It groaned as its framework was slowly compromised the action drawing fighters away from the main battle. Experience had them slicing chunks of meat as they cut off the arms of the creatures hidden within the abyss.

As the moon drifted across the sky, climbing higher and higher, the fighters below fought to give Sai time to do his work. Depleted of energy, Itachi's hand-picked team were exhausted and still more creatures appeared. They fought by the light of the moon, the only source of bright light coming from the Hyuuga's shards of light that were becoming increasingly rarer as the night dragged on. He was exhausted like everyone else, but did not have the experience of extended fighting to keep up precise, let alone effective, strikes. His powers were becoming increasingly wild, and uncontrollable to the point where he had to abandon the platform where most of the heavy fighting took place. There were simply too many people near the area to use his powers in his current state, yet he was a liability without them.

The fighting continued on with cries of pain and death becoming common place, until there seemed to be no end in sight. It wasn't until the moon reached its zenith that a groan of power moved across the battlefield, and in a flash of blinding light the last seal slowly faded beneath the cipher's touch.

The entire team of warriors covered their eyes, bringing up their weapons in defense as the sea monsters attacked in one last large scale affront fueled by rage at the demon's awakening. While the fighters busied themselves destroying the remaining sea monsters, the cipher awakened from his trance, and his tiger disappeared with the wind.

Sai opened his eyes slowly, and was thankfully greeted by the moon's gentle light. When his eyes adjusted, the moonbeams revealed an ocean on fire. Dark flames engulfed him all sides like a prison, and beyond the ring the ocean was set ablaze as hundreds of creatures cried in rage and agony as their bodies slowly disintegrated becoming ash.

He tried to blink back the horrifying images, when suddenly his body pitched forward as exhaustion began to set in. Instincts took over and he slammed his hands down in front of him, breaking his fall. He barely had enough strength to keep himself up, but when he heard the deliberate sound of a wooden door creaking open, he slowly raised his head, fear suddenly gripping him by the throat as he came face to face with a demon.

It stared at him, capturing him in another nightmare harsher than before. He told himself to pull away to put distance between then, but his body wouldn't respond. The demon tilted its head regarding him with a predator's gaze. When it reached for him with bony fingers Sai felt a deep aversion suddenly overtake him. The demon ignored the protest cast by dark eyes, and roughly grabbed him by the collar, its sharp nails scratching thin lines across his skin making him bleed.

"Gaara!"

Someone yelled from beyond the black fire, but Sai was caught in a whirlwind of panic to recognize the voice. Before he could garner enough strength to stop him, he was dragged forward, and without preamble the demon mercilessly tore into his throat.

A painful cry echoed across his mind, while his unresponsive body remained still, a perfect offering to the demon. He didn't know how long he was fed on, but in the back of his mind, he saw as a figure clad in white ran across the platform and onto the dais. His seals were still activated keeping out everyone but one. The figure cried out words he could not make out as his life was drained with every gulp, then suddenly a river of blood ran down his clothes and the torment stopped.

Someone screamed as a katana lodged itself through the demon's throat, and suddenly Sai saw a dark figure step out of the shadows through blurry eyes. He grimaced in pain, losing sight of him when the demon dislodged itself from his neck dropping him on the marble floor. Sai couldn't keep awake any longer, and his seals dimmed fading along with his strength from the stolen blood. Dim eyes watched as the demon grabbed onto the blade and slowly pulled it out. Black blood gushed from the wound. It threw the blade aside, and turned vengeful eyes on the dark figure.

Losing consciousness fast, Sai barely realized he was no longer on the marble floor, but nestled against a familiar warmth. Itachi had removed him from the demon's reach as soon as the seals had dissipated, and now he faced down the demon his wrath all but palpable within the close confines. His rage was so strong, even Sai who was exhausted to the point of becoming dangerous was kept from blissful unconsciousness by the crackle of power fueled by vengeance.

The demon stood answering Itachi's display with his own acrimony. It wanted its prey back. The virtual stand-off terrified Neji who suddenly threw himself in front of Gaara blocking him with his own body. He remembered Itachi's promise from before, and he could see in the depths of those cursed eyes now. He had every intention of following through with his threat. Already he could feel his power gathering, the black flames of destruction were being fanned by unmitigated rage and would soon be turned against Gaara. He couldn't let that happen, and yet his actions only annoyed the demon who did not recognize him. Callously, the demon threw him aside as it stepped out of its cage and onto the marble floor.

"Gaara-" Neji's heart stopped for a moment as anguish began to engulf him.

Itachi ignored the Hyuuga's agony, all that mattered was that the Halfling could not control the demon. That's all he needed to know. He took in a deep breath ready to burn the demon alive, along with his mate when a sudden wisp brushed across his mind, gentle in its touch.

_Don't._

The unexpected use of their mind link caught the Uchiha in a rare bout of surprise. Itachi caught the blaze in his throat and forcefully swallowed it along with a portion of his anger.

_Please._

Neji was once again blocking Gaara with his body, but Itachi couldn't care less, not when he recalled the gentle brush of his mate's touch. His anger was still there but it didn't grip him as strongly as before. In a blur of movement, Itachi threw a weapon across the vengeful space. Neji was suddenly slammed back against the demon as a dagger pierced his palm and lodged itself deep into the demon's chest just inches from his heart. Too short to reach the organ, the demon growled in acrid hate at the second wound dealt to him by the dark figure. It turned sharp eyes on Itachi instincts calling on the sand he was so used to controlling... yet none heeded his call. The small granular particles were so far away and his powers greatly diminished that he was unable to call them to his aid.

He screamed in anger, instincts propelling him to destroy his enemy in a fit of rage when fresh blood suddenly filled his nostrils. His eyes suddenly lost the vengeful light from before as an overwhelming hunger overtook him. He looked down at Neji who stared up at him without fear, his soft eyes watering with tears as they fell across features he remembered only from his dreams. When the first tear slipped down his cheek, the demon exposed his neck and pierced his flesh. The new taste was a sharp contrast to his last victim, and it overwhelmed him with fierce greed he could not control. He gathered the unresisting body in its arms, and returned him to its den of a coffin where he took to selfishly ravaging Neji forgetting all about the enemy from before. The demon avidly devoted itself to gorging on its new prey paying no heed when the Halfling lost consciousness, and continued to feast on him intending to guzzle down every drop of blood it could consume.

Itachi did not stop it.

* * *

_**Next Chapter: **_

No longer starving, Gaara manages to extract himself from his instincts and regains his mind. Itachi still very much wants to kill him, and Gaara feels the same. Neji and Sai bond over their mutual bed-ridden status, while Gaara is left out in the cold. Literally.

As always reviews are greatly appreciated. ;)


End file.
